Crumbs
by AceTiff12
Summary: 50 Themes Challenge. A collection of various CroMa stories. Mostly Ambiguous!Chrona.
1. Theme of Message

A/N: 50 Themes Challenge! 8D I've always wanted to try something like this for fun. Each story, unless otherwise stated, will be separate from the rest. They'll have fluff, smidges of crack, a few dark moments, maybe some will be AU... Pretty much anything's possible. Stay tuned for more...

Oh, the title? Why the word "crumbs"? Because each chapter is just a tiny piece that falls from the delicious [insert favorite kind of pie, cake, or cookie here] that is CroMa. ^w^

This first one, "Message," is short and centered on dialogue. It also contains some manga references, including _Soul Eater Not!_

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _Soul Eater_, _Soul Eater Not!_, or any of their characters. They belong to Atsushi Ohkubo-sama.

* * *

><p>"Now?"<p>

"Yes."

"OK… Um, this is Chrona…"

"And Maka, and…"

"The one and only Ragnarok!"

"W-We're not home right now, so please leave a message and we'll try to get back to you as s-soon as we can… Um, like that, right?"

"Uh-huh. You did good."

"And it only took you five tries. That's gotta be a record."

* * *

><p>-xoxo-<p>

* * *

><p><em>BEEP<em>.

Message: One.

"Hey, it's Soul. Just called to congratulate you guys. It's great that you've got your own place now, but, uh… You do realize that you've left me completely defenseless over here, right? …OK, I'm exaggerating. I can handle myself. But sometimes it gets a little too quiet around here, and… I guess what I'm trying to say is… I miss you guys."

"Oh, Sooooooooooul~!"

"Igottagobye."

_Click_.

…

_BEEP_.

Message: Two.

"Yo, it's Black*Star! You guys home? I'm not _interrupting_ anything, am I? Heh, I only say that because Chrona's been smiling _all_ day today. Yeah, I noticed that. You can't fool me. So now you know what we've all been wondering, right Maka? _Right_, _Maka_? That thing that no one knows about except you? And Chrona, too, obviously, but—Just tell me. The man who's going to surpass God should know that much, don't you think? 'Cause if you don't tell me, then that's just… _selfish_.

"Oh, Tsubaki, how long have you been—Hey, hey, hey—PUT THAT DOWN! I was just—y'know! Really!"

_Click_.

…

_BEEP_.

Message: Three.

"Hi Chrona and Maka, sorry about Black*Star. You know how he gets… Anyway, I'm calling to ask if we can come over sometime? Or you two can come over here if you want. I promise Black*Star will behave himself. I'll see to it personally that he does. You'll be on your best behavior, _won't you_?"

"Yes, ma'am…"

"Good. So… Call me back, okay?"

_Click_.

…

_BEEP_.

Message: Four.

"Hey Maka, hey Chrona, this is Liz. I need you to do me a favor, Maka. Look at Chrona right now. Still wearing that dress, right? Or robe, or whatever it is. You must've been wearing that thing for the past… ten years at least. I'm pretty much right, aren't I? Hmph. It's time for a change, hon. I know you've got a few other outfits, but you really need a whole new wardrobe, _stat_. Luckily, you've got me. I'm taking you shopping whether you like it or not. But don't worry—I'll make sure to only pick out clothes that suit your taste. You can leave everything to me, but I need you to be there with me so we can make sure they fit. Trust me—You'll both thank me for this.

"Oh, and Kid's thinking about having another party soon. Patty wants you to dance with her, Chrona. Don't ask me why; I just promised her I would pass the message along, but it's up to you… So… Just a quick heads-up…

"Let's see, what else… Oh, yeah. Not to be nosy, Maka, but was that a _hickey _I saw on your neck today? I couldn't really tell because of your collar, but if it was, then don't try to hide it—Show it off! That's what I'd do. Word of advice—take it or leave it.

"Well, that's all, I guess. Give me a call soon."

_Click_.

…

_BEEP_.

Message: Five.

"Maaakaaa~ It's your Papa. Why am I just _now _hearing about you and Chrona moving into your own place? You need to _tell _me when things like this happen, y'know.

"And now I bet you're wondering how I got this number. I'll never tell~ But I swear, I'll only call if it's an emergency from now on. A _real _emergency. Really. Only then. Honest. I mean it.

"…Take care, alright? Both of you."

_Click_.

…

_BEEP_.

Message: Six.

"Um… Maka? It's me, Tsugumi… I finished the book you lent me. When do you want it back? Anya and Meme say hi, and to Chrona and Ragnarok, too. So, um… Bye!"

_Click_.

…

_BEEP_.

Message: Seven.

"Chrona, I'm calling to let you know that you left your notebook here. Feel free to stop by any time to pick it up. And when you're here, Marie has a few recipes she wants you to take home. Don't forget, alright? See you then."

_Click_.

…

_BEEP_.

Message: Eight.

"Nyaaaaa! Guess who? Where are you guys?-! I admit it's a lot roomier now that you're gone, but having you around was definitely more fun… Soul said he called hours ago but you're still not home! What are you two up to, huh? When are you going to be back? You're not ignoring us, right? You'd never do that, would you? Aww, of course you wouldn't! Come visit soon, please! I don't use the phone that much, so this should prove how much I miss you guys! Pleeeeease hurry back! Bye-bye for now!"

_Click_.

…

_BEEP_.

Message: Nine.

"Hey guys, it's Kim. Are you two free this weekend? Because Ox wants to know if we can all go out on a double date. I don't care either way, sooo… Hit me up when you can. We'll work something out, if you want. Bye."

_Click_.

…

_BEEP_.

End of Messages.


	2. Theme of Kawaii

Looking at Maka, I realize the book in her hands isn't a book at all. Not a normal one, anyway. She usually reads the kind that has words and nothing else. The one she's holding only has pictures.

I stand just inside the living room, watching her, rubbing one hand over the other in rough circles. Swallowing my nerves, I find my voice and ask her what she's looking at.

"It's an album," she says, raising her head and turning her eyes toward me. "It's been a while since I've looked through it. Do you want to see, too?"

My shoulders hunch, and my hand rubs the other a little faster. Maka had been smiling down at the book, but in a sad way. She seemed almost heartbroken, until I pulled her away from her thoughts. I want to know what made her look like that, but I don't want to be nosy. But if she's hurting, then I want to help her. That's why I nod.

Maka makes room for me on the couch, so I shuffle forward. I sit down beside her, but not too close. As my hands twist in my lap, she holds the book out and shows me the reason for her earlier expression. Both pages have many photos, but a certain large one stands out from the rest. It takes up the most room, so you can't help but notice it first. Now I know why she made such a face. The young woman in the picture is winking up at us and grinning broadly. She is almost as beautiful as Maka.

"This is Mama." She smiles as she says it, and the tone in her voice is as soft as a gentle breeze. I can't tell if she is sad or happy; the two seem to be mixed. It makes me want to hug her, but at the same time it doesn't.

I glance back and forth between mother and daughter, hands still fussing with themselves. I feel like I should say something, but the only question in my mind that seems to fit the moment is whether Maka misses her. But I can't ask that, because of course she does, and then she'll either get mad at me for even suggesting otherwise or get depressed and it'll be all my fault.

I keep my mouth closed. Silence is almost always the safest option. My eyes study each of the woman's features, checking for ones similar to Maka. Then I glance at the other, smaller pictures.

She holds the album steady for me. It feels like she's watching me, but I don't think she's bothered by my being so quiet. Slowly, both hands stop their fussing and lie still in my lap.

The next pages are of her mother _and _her father, together. They look so young and happy, and I shift a little, suddenly uncomfortable. It's hard to see their smiling faces and know that years later will lead to arguments, a divorce, a broken family.

I steal a glance at Maka to find that happy-and-sad mix again. Is she hiding her pain? Why would she want to look through something that brings up a cruel reminder of the present? I want to do something. Maybe I should urge her not to open this book ever again. Maybe I should hug her and tell her that I will never be careless, that I will never desert her. I want to help her somehow.

…Maybe there's a way. It's not much, but even the smallest of gestures can make a difference. I should know.

Ignoring the dull rush of heat to my ears, I slide myself a little closer to her. Looking down, I move closer and closer, inch by inch, until my shoulder brushes against hers.

My breath gets caught in my throat. It is at this precise moment that I happen to turn my head toward her right when she does the same toward me. If I were able to, I would gasp out loud. The tiny amount of space between us has left me paralyzed. It's as if her eyes are holding me in place, preventing me from making even the slightest movement. Cold and numb, all I can do is stare with my lips parted in shock.

Maka's eyebrows are raised so high they nearly disappear beneath her cascading bangs. But other than that, she appears calm. Her cheeks aren't tinged pink. She doesn't jolt back or tremble. Instead, she merely blinks up at me, lifting her head just a bit more.

I manage to speak. "Can I hold it, too?"

"Sure," she replies, and her mouth breaks into a relaxed, cheerful grin.

A ripple of warmth washes over me. It melts the block of ice in my chest. For her to give me a smile, a _real _smile… It's more than I could ask for. More than I deserve. More than I expected. It was enough for her to say yes, but I'm glad she showed me such a cheerful face. The sight makes me think that my idea is working, even though being close and holding the album with her isn't much and can't really change anything. I just want her to know I'm here for her. Always.

Both corners of my mouth twitch and pull upward and I can't stop them—her smile is contagious. My own is nothing like hers, of course, since it's so small and shaky. I look away, but I know she's seen it. Strangely, as I reach for the book, I don't mind when my hand grazes over her sliding fingers.

Now we each have an end to hold and we're still sitting close, our shoulders together, the side of our legs lightly touching. My empty hand, though, stays placed on my lap. I roll it into a loose fist to keep my fingers steady.

Maka turns the page. A few pictures of her parents' wedding are scattered about. There's also one of her mother sitting in profile, leaning back in a rocking chair. I can see her arms wrapped tenderly around a very round stomach… She's pregnant. So that means Maka's in the picture, too.

The room starts to get a little too warm all of a sudden. Will the next page have a bunch of pictures that show her as a baby? I try not to fidget in my seat or sneak a glimpse at Maka. Truthfully, I'm curious to know what she looked like, but I'll understand if she decides to skip them over. That kind of stuff is embarrassing for most, and I don't want her to feel that way.

The sound of another page turning makes me tense up—I don't know what to expect and there's no time to prepare. These next few photos are big and bright and neatly arranged, and Maka is in all of them.

I do a double take.

As if someone has flipped a magic switch, all my tension evaporates on the spot. My shoulders droop. My face slackens. I find myself leaning down just a bit, drawing closer, falling in slow motion, to make sure my eyes are working properly. I stare, sitting as still as the album below me.

Maka is in all the pictures, but she's not a baby. She's a kid, but she's much younger than that first time I saw her in my soul. She's a toddler; she can't be older than two or three. One photo shows her cuddled in the crook of her father's arm. I've never seen her so happy around him before. She's actually _hugging _his neck, her cheek pressed against his. A beautiful sunny beach gleams behind them.

Below that, little Maka stands near the ocean, shovel and pail in hand. Tiny fists, tiny feet, tiny everything. Another photo. Maka smiling gleefully at the camera. She wears an orange dress with long sleeves. It's almost as if she's getting ready to jump from the page and wrap her tiny fingers around the nearest living thing. She's so small, but her eyes are so big and green and shiny and expressive. Her cheeks are plump and chubby and round and they glow a soft, rosy pink. Her hair is a heap of tangled locks, but it's not the long pigtails I've always known that hang from either side of her head. Instead, she has two thick, fluffy puffs.

A twinge bursts in the pit of my stomach, but I ignore it. I'm frozen. All I can see is the miniature version of the person next to me. There's nothing else. I'm not sure how long I'm stuck like this, but eventually my fingers unfurl from my lap and make their way toward one of the pictures. They brush over it once, wondering if this Maka is anything like the Maka with me now. If I held her hand, despite its size, would it feel the same? Would hugging her be different from the hugs I've had before?

There's a gentle pressure on my shoulder, followed by a voice that sounds so far, far away, out in the distance. Then a suffocating silence crashes down on me—it's hard to breathe in it, hard to focus on anything that's not in front of me. It's too quiet. It's too stuffy. The little girl continues to stare at me with beaming eyes and blossomy cheeks and tufts of hair like puffballs and a precious smile that will never fade—

I stand up, hands falling uselessly at my sides. My mind is in a daze, but something gets through. That voice again. It floats to my ears.

"Chrona?"

It sounds closer, but still so far away. Maka. She said my name, so I should… I should… _Move_. And I do. But it's not my lips or eyes or head that moves, like I wanted.

It's my feet. They're moving on autopilot and nothing else seems to be working. They take me to a corner of the room, where I collapse onto my hands and knees. Now I can concentrate on breathing. Regularly. Slowly. In. Out. Again. In. Out. My eyes crush shut.

Okay. The daze is disappearing now. The room isn't stuffy anymore. I can hear things clearly now.

I listen to Maka's footsteps. She stops behind me. I keep my eyes closed.

"Chrona…? What's the matter…?"

My head ducks so low, my nose almost touches the floor. She doesn't know. Of course. She really doesn't know. It's as plain as day but she can't see it. I guess that's normal, but at the same time… just… unbelievable.

My mouth can't form words at the moment, if the hoarse, pathetic whine is any proof. My fingers bend tightly as I take a deep breath and try again. I manage to get out a sound—a consonant. The same syllable repeats itself over and over, harsh and loud enough for her to hear without having to stoop down.

I pause, keenly aware of those eyes watching me. I wait until I feel like I'm able to keep myself from stuttering this time.

"_Cute_."

There, I said it. The word sums it all up. It hangs in the air and I wonder if Maka is quiet because she's letting it sink in. When she speaks, she sounds confused.

"Cute…?"

"Yes," I answer. "You're cute." She's so cute. _Too _cute. I wasn't ready to see those pictures. It was too much and it hit me all at once.

I shouldn't have to explain anything else, but a full minute passes and Maka still doesn't say anything. She doesn't even move. Don't tell me she doesn't understand. I shouldn't have to say this out loud, because it's obvious, but I go on anyway.

"I will never see anything—or any_one_—that cute ever again."

Not for as long as I live. Not for a million years. Anybody who disagrees needs to have an eye exam, because they must be blind. Either that or extremely stupid, and I will have to shake them until they come to their senses.

Surely Maka must get it now. My fingers relax and I open my eyes, but I don't look at her. After more silence, she finally moves. She steps close and leans down, placing a soft hand on my shoulder. She asks if I'm okay now. I raise my head. She isn't smiling or blushing. Did I do something wrong? Maybe she doesn't like compliments? But it's more than just a compliment—it's the flat-out truth. Maybe she doesn't believe me. Sighing inwardly, I give her a quick nod and take both her hands when she offers them.

We stand, not letting go. For a while we just stare at each other, but it's hard to read her face. I feel like I'm being x-rayed, so I fight the urge to gulp. It's as if she's testing me. One wrong move and…

She smiles. It's a true smile, calm and peaceful, but it almost seems like she's holding back laughter. She says nothing, but I think this is her way of thanking me. But I'm not sure she really understands just how adorable she is. She's too modest…

The album lies shut on the couch and as Maka picks it up, she asks if I still want to look through it with her. I tell her that I do, trying not to worry what might happen if, somehow, an even _cuter_ photograph of her turns up. I let her hold it on her own, just in case.

We sit down and Maka uses her thumbs to pull the pages apart just a little and peeks inside, searching for the right ones. She glances at me before opening the book fully, nice and easy.

I blink down at the familiar pictures, at that adorably sweet face. She's a Maka from another time, but she's still Maka.

"Am I really that cute?" The question is a soft whisper. She sounds astonished, and I notice that her eyes are directed at me as she says it.

I stare back. "_Yes_." Can she really not see for herself?

Sandy hair hides most of her face as she lowers her head. Her little frown scares me. Tension starts to fill the air and it gets so quiet, I can't hear her breathe. Her stillness makes me nervous; it makes me wonder if she's going to suddenly start crying or screaming. I jump when I hear something, but it's only a harmless chuckle. She looks up at me and my jaw drops. She's wearing an expression almost identical to her younger self, so happy and carefree. Then she grins teasingly.

"Hey."

I close my mouth, eyebrows peaked.

"Look." And without so much as a warning, she turns the page.

I look down before I can help it. More pictures. The little Maka is featured in all of them again. The first one that stands out…

P—P—P—_Pacifier_!

Another photo. B—_Bib_!

I slap my hands over my mouth to stop myself from gasping. Why did she spring this on me? It's too much to handle all at once!

"You're blushing!" Maka giggles, and I cover my eyes because they won't shut on their own and I can't tear them away from the album. Even in darkness, the images are still fresh in my mind. They won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

"I'm turning the page now."

"Wait—Please—No more…"

She giggles again. "C'mon, just a peek. Take a quick look. Make it real fast."

I do. Then I shrink back, biting my lip to stifle a weird gurgling noise, and I know my face turns a few shades darker. My palms shield my eyes again.

"Did you see?"

"C-Cute!"

"There's more."

Another page turns. Another quick peek. More cuteness. We go through this routine a few more times, Maka giggling all the while. Her voice rings in my ears like wind chimes. She talks to me playfully and soon enough, I find myself giggling, too.

* * *

><p><span>AN: Cuteness can be deadly. It's true.


	3. Theme of Content

There are two kinds of silences: the good kind that feels like a simple paradise and the bad kind that feels like a small closet filled with itching powder. Both kinds can happen when I'm alone or with other people. (There's also a neutral silence that feels like nothing exits, but that one doesn't really count.) I don't expect the bad kind to creep up here in the library as I'm reading with Maka, but it does.

The air is tense and I don't know why. I try to keep reading the words in front of me, but the good kind of silence doesn't come back. It makes no sense. The library is a sanctuary. It's one of Maka's favorite places in the whole academy. We've come here together lots of times, and I'll admit that these are the moments when I feel most relaxed. Spending time with Maka is always relaxing, especially when it's just the two of us. There are a few students around, but none of them are looking at the table where we're sitting.

So why do I feel like I'm being watched? The only other person near me is Maka, but why would she be looking at me?

My fingers grip the book tightly to keep themselves from shaking. I hold my breath to stop a jittery gasp from slipping out. I make sure my eyes stay focused on the page.

I'm afraid to check if I'm right. But if I don't, then this bad silence won't go away and I won't be able to relax and read.

_Just a quick look_, I tell myself. _Get it over with_.

Strengthening my resolve, I raise my head. Maka sits across from me with an opened book in her hands and her eyes on my face. This is the part where I'm supposed to lower my head again and pretend I hadn't done anything. But I can't.

Why is she staring at me? For an instant, I'm reminded of all the times I've watched her whenever she reads. I've noticed a few of the things she tends to do. If she finds something that's happening in the book exciting, then the green of her eyes light up and her mouth forms a shape kind of like a tiny watermelon slice. If she reads something that's not to her liking, then her face darkens slightly as her eyes narrow. They'll turn into slits if she really dislikes it.

I think my favorite moment is whenever she comes across something that's surprising or giving her new tidbits of information. Her eyes widen, eyebrows partly raised, and her lips barely separate to make a loose letter _o_. Sometimes patches of faint blush will appear on her cheeks.

And every time she turns a page, her whole hand sweeps across it to reach the top corner. She uses all of her fingers to flip to the next section, as if touching as much as she can will help her take everything in faster.

But I know she isn't staring at me simply to watch me read. It looks more like she has something on her mind. Like she wants to tell me something. But if that's true, then why isn't she saying anything? This isn't like her. Maka never hesitates to talk to me.

I blink at her, waiting for her to break the silence, but she continues to stare as if she hasn't yet noticed that I'm looking back. Her eyes are a little empty and dull.

Closing my book and setting it down, I fold my hands together on top of it. I sit up straight and tall in my chair. "Is s-something wrong, Maka?"

She stirs. She blinks at me, as though waking from a dream, and opens her mouth to speak. "No. Nothing's wrong."

I want to believe her. She sounds so convincing. But there must be a reason for her staring. I want to know what it is, but I can't just ask her directly…

Luckily, Maka goes on. "It's just… I was wondering…"

Oh, so she does want to tell me something. I lean forward just a bit, ready to listen. She takes a moment to lay her book flat on the table, smoothing out the pages. Then she weaves her fingers together and rests them beneath her chin.

She studies me briefly before asking, "Are you doing anything after this?"

I pause, wondering why she wants to know. "N-Not really… I'm just going home—I mean, Shibusen's my home, so I'm already there—here—I mean—I'm going back to my room, after this…"

I force myself to shut up. I still need to work on saying what I want without getting tongue-tied. I hang my head, choosing to focus on my unmoving hands. Talking to Maka should be easy…

Now it's my fault the bad kind of silence is back again. It makes me want to apologize. It's affecting her, too. I can hear her shift in her seat. But soon she continues, and she doesn't sound uncomfortable.

"Do you want to come over, then? Like, around dinner time?"

I lift my head so fast my neck cricks. "Yes!" I exclaim, then catch myself, remembering that we're in a library.

"Yes," I say again, softly.

She gives me a warm smile. "Alright."

Carefully, her hands bring her book upright and she goes back to reading. The smile stays glued to her face.

I slip my hand under the front cover of my book, but realize I've forgotten what page I was on. Oh, well. It doesn't matter because I'm too excited to read now—I'm going to her apartment later. I've been there plenty of times before, and I like seeing how she, Soul, and Blair live together.

My fingers idly flip through the pages one by one. I still don't understand why Maka had been staring. It was almost as if she thought I would say no or something. The only time I've ever turned down an invitation of hers was when she'd asked if I'd wanted to move in with them. She'd seemed disappointed at my answer, so I'd assured her I was fine where I was.

But I didn't tell her my real reason, because it's too embarrassing to admit. The thought of the two of us living under the same roof, to wake up every morning knowing she's nearby, to spend all of my nights with her—It's too much. That's more than I can ask for. It would be way too selfish of me to accept such an offer. Besides, I already have everything I need. It's okay to leave things the way they are. This is enough.

My fingers stop turning pages, but of course I don't read. I watch Maka instead. A part of me knows it isn't nice to stare so openly, but another part of me believes she won't mind if she notices.

The good kind of silence comes back. It settles around us easily, as though it never left. Maka's lips pull apart and I can see the tiny slice of watermelon.

* * *

><p>-xoxo-<p>

* * *

><p>I stand in front of the door and raise my arm, but it clicks open before I can knock. I jump as Soul emerges and stops himself from crashing into me.<p>

"Hey, you're here."

"Y-Yeah, hi…"

"Make yourself at home. Maka's right in the living room."

"T-Thanks… And Blair's…?"

"She's… working."

"…Oh." I feel my face grow warm as I try not to think about that particular place she works at.

"I'm headed for the store right now. Want anything in particular?"

I shake my head, and he steps aside to let me through. When the door closes, I stand rooted to the spot, having just realized something.

I have never been alone with Maka in her apartment before. There's always been at least one other person here, too. But now it's just the two of us. The thought is strangely unnerving, and I'm not sure why. I take a deep breath and force my legs to move.

Maka is in the living room placing some board games on the short coffee table. She sees me and waves me over, suggesting that we play for a while until Soul comes back with dinner. We sit across each other, her back to the couch and my back to the TV. Aside from the board games, there's also a case of dominoes and a deck of cards.

"Are you thirsty?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Which do you want to play first? Checkers? Chess?"

"Um… Whichever you want."

A pause follows. Maka lowers her eyes, both pigtails dangling. She concentrates on the table with a gaze so rigid and determined, it's almost like she's making a life-or-death decision.

My hands knead the folds of my lap. Her stillness makes me uneasy. She's acting strange again. What's going on? Can't she feel the bad silence trying to squirm its way in?

I nearly flinch when she suddenly whips her head back up and all but clamors, "Then let's—_Ah_!"

Maka cuts herself off with a small gasp of pain. Her hand had started to jerk toward the pack of cards, but hit the sharp edge of the table instead. Her elbow knocks over both the deck of cards and the box of dominoes as her arm pulls back. The sounds of tiles clattering against each other and flapping pieces of paper fill the air. Some scatter across the table while others fall to the floor. They dance about as though caught in a small tornado. The chaos lasts a few seconds before things settle down again. Messy, but calm.

Maka's hair hides most of her face as she presses her mouth to the bright pink spot on her hand. I lean forward, reaching for her without thinking.

"No, don't," she murmurs. "I'm okay."

I let my fingers hang between us before withdrawing them slowly.

"Don't worry about the mess, either. I'll get it."

I wish she would look at me. I want to tell her that I want to help, but maybe she'll get mad if I do that. So I keep quiet and watch her nurse the back of her hand. Then I watch her gather the dominoes and put them in their case. Even though it's quiet and Maka is careful not to look at me, the bad silence hasn't broken through just yet.

"Let's play a card game first," she says as she picks up all the cards, her voice wavering slightly. "How about Go Fish? It's easy. We'll start with that." Deck in hand, she sits up straight and begins to shuffle it.

A transparent marble of sweat rolls down the side of her face. Her eyes are fixed on her hands, unblinking. She scowls at the cards, mixing them rapidly at first, then slower and slower. They seem to be shuffled enough by now, but she keeps going. She follows the same pattern over and over again. Her fingers move like slugs, blending the stack in a robotic rhythm. One. Two. Swish. Swish.

Her eyes grow hazy.

I place my hands firmly over hers, making them stop.

"Maka. Please tell me what's wrong."

Even as they leave my mouth, the words sound odd coming from me. Usually, she's the one to say these kinds of things.

It takes several seconds for her to answer me, but I'm more than willing to wait. I'll sit here for hours if I have to. At last, Maka looks up and stares at me, her eyes glossy.

"I'm sorry. I should really learn to mind my own business, huh?"

"What do you—?"

"I can't _stand _it."

My breath hitches. For one intense moment, I'm afraid that my worst fear is about to come true. She's about to admit that she's only been my friend this whole time because she feels bad for me, but now she wants to have nothing to do with me anymore. My hands tighten around hers. I shake the scary thoughts away and decide to just listen. I can't go jumping to conclusions.

Maka speaks to our hands. "I know it's none of my business. I know you've got your reasons, and I know you're able to make your own decisions. But…

"I really don't like where you're living right now. I don't like it one bit. It _really _bothers me. Sometimes it bothers me so much that I can't sleep at night.

"It's just… The thought of you living down there, all alone… The thought of you going to bed in a place like that… It makes me worry."

Her fingers tense beneath mine. She raises her head and looks at me steadily. "You know how some people make bets when they play games? That's what I wanted to do at first. If I won, then you would have to move in with us. If I lost, then I'd have to swear never to talk about it again. But I guess it was a dumb idea from the start. I don't want to trick you. I'm sorry if I was acting weird. I just didn't know if bringing this up would be asking you too much. But I'm sure now. It is."

She sighs quietly, as though relieved to get everything off her chest, and smiles wearily. "I'll mind my own business from now on. Let's just play for fun, OK?"

I don't move.

The image of Maka lying awake, unable to sleep because of me… It clings to my mind and refuses to let go. I can't believe I made her worry that much. I never realized how much something like that would matter to her.

But, even though it bothers her, she doesn't want to force me into anything. She's willing to put her own feelings aside… for me.

My hands—_our _hands—are warm.

It wouldn't be so bad, would it? To live here. It would be something completely new, and maybe even a little scary, but maybe I can get used to it. But, right now… What if I'm not ready? If I move in, Maka will be glad, but then I wouldn't have as much privacy as before. What should I do? Should I wait, or should I take a chance?

The smile fades from her face, but she doesn't say anything.

I squeeze her hands gently. "Thank you for telling me, but, if it's alright w-with you… I want to t-try it."

Just this once, let fate decide what's best.

Maka looks down, thinking. Then her eyes peer deeply into mine. "You do it. Make the rules however you want."

I'd never made a bet with anyone before, but surprisingly I don't feel uneasy about it at all. My voice turns steady. "If you win, I'll come and live here. If I win…"

I stop. It occurs to me that I can basically ask her to do anything. If she wins, the result will be a permanent condition. I don't want to push her into something that would make her uncomfortable, but I'll probably never get an opportunity like this again. I shouldn't waste it. Maka has always been honest with me, so I need to do the same. I need to ask myself, _What do I want?_

I know I'm happy with the way things are now, but there must be something… Maka is fine the way she is, so there's nothing I'd ask her to change…

For a while, it looks as though I'll never think of anything. But then something dawns on me. It's kind of big. And it's personal. And, in a sense, it would be permanent. There'd be no going back. I wonder if I'd be asking too much.

My fingers carefully loosen one at a time. I keep my voice just above a whisper. "If I win, you have to tell me something."

Her eyebrows arch themselves curiously. "Tell you what?"

I almost hesitate again but I don't because I want to sound sure of myself. This is my decision. I can't seem doubtful. "A secret. I want you to tell me something that you've never told anyone else. Something that only you know about. If I win, you have to share it with me."

There's no need to add that I won't go around telling it to everybody. She and I both know that I can keep a secret. Maka finds it very easy to speak her mind, but surely even she has a few things she prefers to keep to herself. I'd like to know about one of them. I think it'll be nice to have something that belongs only to the two of us. No matter what it is.

Maka lowers her eyes so she can give my proposal some thought. I really hope I'm not asking too much. She doesn't have to go through with it if she doesn't want to. But she shouldn't feel like she has to tell me something too private… I won't mind how big or small her secret is—just as long as she trusts me as much as I trust her.

Soon another smile wipes away the serious expression from her face. "Deal," she says in a light, almost smug manner. She's figured out something to tell me, but the only way I'll get to hear it is if I win the game.

I let go of her hands and watch as her fingers quickly give the cards one final shuffle.

We start playing and I can't help but notice that the air is calm. I can't feel a trace of tension anywhere. Even though one of us will be beaten, it doesn't seem to matter. We both have something to lose, but at the same time we both have something to gain.

"Do you have any threes?" I ask.

"Go fish."

It isn't ominous—It's just like any other game. The terms of our bet are pushed to the back of my mind. The bad kind of silence has long since flown away, leaving only the good kind in its place. This room is a simple paradise, peaceful and relaxing and quiet, save for the sound of us asking each other for certain cards. Maka's shoulders are slack and her head is held upright. She takes her time, carrying herself in confidence.

Sometimes her eyes flicker to me and I wonder if she can somehow read me like an open book. I lift my cards a bit higher so that they'll cover some of my face—particularly my light blush and my shaky smile. There's no hurry, so I don't rush.

We collect cards from the pile and from each other. Their numbers begin to dwindle. There's no anxiety between us. It's another of those precious moments where I'm just happy to be with her.

"Do you have any fives?" she asks. Her tone is casual and it makes me believe that we're both thinking the same thing.

It's win-win. In the end, neither of us will lose.

I lower my hand so she can see my smile. "Go fish."


	4. Theme of Separate

A/N: This chapter is based on the manga.

* * *

><p>It's cold. I press the pillow against myself as hard as I can, but it's no use. Even if I get under the covers, I know it won't be any help. Even if it was still daytime, it still wouldn't help. Nothing will be able to get rid of this raw, cold feeling of guilt. I bury my face deeper into the pillow, squeezing it so much that I wouldn't be surprised if it split apart and bled cotton.<p>

My breathing is slow and muffled. My body feels stiff from sitting upright on the mattress for hours on end. The tiniest noise always startles me and makes me look at the door, expecting it to open. But it never does.

How can my forehead sweat when I'm feeling so cold on the inside _and _the outside? I don't bother wiping it, though. I prefer not to move if I can help it. If I stay as still and quiet as possible, then my mind might finally settle down enough to go completely blank. I can't fall asleep, so the next best thing is to try to stop thinking.

Don't think about the mess I've gotten myself into. Don't think about Eruka or the Mizune sisters.

Don't think about Medusa-sama.

Don't think about whether or not someone's on their way to smash down the door and drag me off to be punished for what I've done to Professor Stein and Marie-sensei.

But most of all… Don't. Think. About. Maka.

Focus on breathing. Focus on the pillow. Focus on nothing.

There's another noise, and I shudder at how familiar it is. I want to pretend I can't hear anything. I want to pretend that there _isn't _a frog sitting in the window right now.

I'm alone here. It's just me. The room is empty. That soft croak just now—it's only the wind.

"It's time, Chrona."

My curiosity gets the better of me. I lift my head from the pillow and look at the windowsill. Sure enough, Eruka sits there, a green lump with glassy eyes. She blinks at me expectantly.

My voice comes out weak and trembling, exactly the opposite of how I want it. "T-Time f-for what?"

"It's time to go. Medusa's waiting."

I stare at her, eyes wide with fear and disbelief. If there's any color in my face, it must be draining away now. Ruthless, pointed, golden eyes swirl through my thoughts. She wants me back already? Right this minute?

My toes fidget on the bed, fiddling with each other. "But… I can't…"

"You can't stay here, you know. They've found the snake, so it's only a matter of time before everyone knows that you're responsible. Sooner or later they'll all find out that you've betrayed them. Just sitting here won't do you any good. It's too dangerous."

An icy chill skids up my spine, as if I'm not cold enough already. It's freezing, and it cuts into me like a rusty knife. She's right. I'm a traitor. When they figure out I'd poisoned Marie-sensei and kept quiet about Medusa-sama's return, everybody will hate me. Even Maka.

Barely noticing what I'm doing, I place the pillow back at the head of the bed and stand. My arms hang loosely at my sides as I stare at the hard, cracked floor beneath my bare feet. I don't face the window.

It really is too late for me. I can't be forgiven, even if I apologize. There's no excuse for what I did, but Medusa-sama is my mother. A good child is supposed to do what they're told, right? But still… Throwing away everything I've found here would be too painful.

What should I do? I can't make everybody happy. I wish I could, but I can't, I just can't. What's the right thing to do? How do I deal with something so difficult?

I'm so confused, but there is one thing that I'm really sure of. "I don't want to leave."

Eyes on the ground, I turn and step toward the window. I want Eruka to hear me clearly. I place my hands on the sill, standing beside her, but not looking at her. The cold slab meets my fingers, but I am already so frozen that it doesn't bother me.

"I want to stay," I say aloud. "If I go, then I'll never see any of my friends again."

"Your friends…? Oh, that reminds me. You should know that one of them saw us talking earlier. Maka, that's her name."

My heart skips a beat. Time seems to grind to a halt as I stare at my pale knuckles, mouth slightly agape. Is she lying? I don't want to believe her. But somehow, I can see it as plain as day… Maka _does _have a way of noticing things about me when no one else can…

I wonder what went through her mind when she saw us. I wonder where she is right now, what she's doing. She must hate me now. I bet she thinks I've been using her all this time.

"Like I said, Medusa's waiting. You should hurry and pack your things. The longer you hang around here, the sooner they'll catch you."

I manage to move my head and look at her. "I don't want to leave this place," I answer weakly. It's the truth, but deep down, I know I don't have a choice in the matter.

Medusa-sama needs me. She's my mother.

If I stay, I'll get hurt. People who get too close to me will get hurt, too. I've caused too much trouble. They won't want me around after they find out about what I did. Leaving now would be doing them a favor, right?

I gaze up at the night sky. The moon stands out, grinning ominously, but there's also a few stars dotted here and there. They remind me of shining teardrops.

What if, by some small chance, Maka _isn't _mad at me? What if she's sad instead?

What if she's lying awake in bed right now, looking at this same sky, crying to herself? Are those tears of sorrow? Frustration? Confusion?

I don't want to see her in pain because of me. Seeing her upset is much worse than seeing her angry.

I take a deep breath, letting it rush out as a sigh. I can't stay here, even though I want to. Maybe if I'm lucky, nobody will miss me.

I turn away from the window.

"So you're staying?"

"No. No, I—I'm coming."

Eruka says nothing; she just waits for me while I find my shoes. I put them on, then search for a bag to put my belongings in. There isn't much to take. For a moment, I consider leaving a note behind, saying how sorry I am and how nice it was being friends with them all, even if it was only for a while. I decide against it because it'd be better if I left without a trace, as if I never existed.

The last thing I pack is a hand-sized photo of Maka. She gave it to me not too long ago, saying I should use it to start a scrapbook. She told me that filling it with pictures would be a way of keeping all my special memories in one place. I close my eyes and hold her smiling image over my heart. I'll treasure this. If things get too rough, then I can look at this picture of her to feel better.

Eruka's gaze is drilling into my back. I carefully place the photo in my bag and turn to her. Together, we slip into the unsuspecting night.

She hitches a ride on my shoe. I almost wish that someone will spot me and send me back, but the city appears to be deserted. I make sure to stay away from streetlamps. My footsteps pad the ground as quickly and quietly as they can. For a second, I think about changing direction in order to head for Maka's apartment. Just to say goodbye. But I shove the foolish idea aside before it can take root.

We make it out safely. When Death City is a good distance behind us, I can't help but take one last look. An eerie calmness settles inside me. Soon the city disappears from view.

During the journey, I think about the last time Maka and I saw each other.

* * *

><p>-xoxo-<p>

* * *

><p>"Are you busy?" she asked me.<p>

"No," I said, then winced at how quickly I'd spoken. It was true that I wasn't doing anything at the moment, but that was only because it wasn't time to meet with Eruka yet.

"Then come grab a bite to eat with us."

And so I did. Guilt spread through me like a virus, but I really liked doing things with her. I couldn't resist. She, Soul, Blair, and I went to a café, and I tried not to think about where I would go as soon as we separated.

We sat at a table outside the building. Maka took off her gloves, poured a bottle of milk into a bowl, and set it on the ground for Blair. I knew the magical cat had a human form, but I hadn't seen it yet. I got the feeling Maka didn't want her to transform around me, but I wasn't sure why.

As we ate, Soul and Maka talked about this and that. I listened. The only time I spoke was when one of them spoke to me first. Maka seemed very eager to hear what I had to say, even though it wasn't much.

"Have you ever had a raspberry scone before?" she asked.

"N-No… I've never had any k-kind before…"

"Really? Then here, try mine. They're good."

She broke off a little piece from her plate, balanced it on her palm, and offered it to me. I lifted my arms and scooped it up, keenly aware that my fingers were touching hers.

I popped it into my mouth. The pastry was soft and flaky with that tart, juicy flavor of raspberry.

Maka stared. "Your hands are cold."

I swallowed nervously. For me, it was normal. They were that way all the time. "I… don't usually notice…"

"May I?"

Before I could give her a questioning look, she was already moving her chair closer. Carefully, she gathered my hands into her own. I froze. I still wasn't used to anyone touching me. But I didn't pull back because I knew Maka would never want to hurt me.

She started rubbing my hands, slowly at first, then faster. Of course, hers were warm. They pressed mine together. I could soon feel them heating up between hers. Then she brought our hands up to the lower half of her face. She held them close to her mouth and blew hot, dry air over them.

I watched as she rubbed my hands once more, asking if they were warm enough for me yet. It was hard to speak, so I just nodded.

"Keep doing that and your hands won't freeze. You should warm them even if they feel just a little bit cold." She stopped and withdrew her hands to move her chair back. "Now try it."

I cupped my hands, placed them near my mouth, and breathed into them. I rubbed them over each other, palm over palm, fingers over fingers. The warmth stayed.

Soul smirked. "I think Chrona already knew how to do that, Maka."

"I know that! I was just helping." She turned to me with a smile. "So you liked the scone, right?"

"Y-Yes. It's… tasty."

"Have another."

She held out another raspberry scone and as our fingers met again I noticed how similar they felt. They were both warm. She had shared her warmth with me. I wished there was a way to carry it around all the time, to always keep it close.

After the café, the four of us browsed the streets for a while, Maka and Soul pointing out shops and other places they thought I might like. Blair was perched comfortably on Maka's head and when she stretched her mouth wide and yawned, we realized that the sun was beginning to set.

We decided to go our separate ways. I clutched my arm as they said goodbye. Something told me I should smile as I waved back, but even if I tried, I knew it'd be useless. I was too anxious at the thought of where I was supposed to be right then.

I looked at their easygoing, trusting faces and gripped my arm tighter. I looked into Maka's gentle green eyes and suddenly found it very hard to breathe.

I turned my back on them.

* * *

><p>-xoxo-<p>

* * *

><p>Medusa-sama sits in front of her crystal ball. It's still a little strange to see her using a child's body. I stand before her, at a slight distance, hugging my bag to my chest and waiting for her to acknowledge me.<p>

She concentrates only on the glowing orb in front of her for so long that I wonder if I should say something to let her know I'm here. But somehow I think she knows already. I stand still and wait quietly.

The light from the sphere fades and two arms reach up to lower a dark hood. A young face looks up and gives me a snaky smile. "Welcome home, Chrona."

"M-Medusa-sama."

"What's the matter, Chrona? Aren't you glad to finally be back where you belong? With me?"

My shoulders arch themselves as I shift my weight from one foot to the other. I want to look away, but I don't dare. My fingers cling to the bag almost desperately. I wish she'd let me put my stuff away. I don't want to answer these kinds of questions.

The smile remains. "What are you holding?"

"J-Just m-m-my… things."

"Bring it here."

I don't move. What does she want with my stuff? What will she do when she sees the picture of Maka? Will she punish me? Yes, I think she will… If not for that, then because I'm just standing here instead of doing what she asked.

Medusa-sama gets up, but her face isn't an angry one as she walks toward me, taking careful and silent steps with her small bare feet. She stops in front of me and I'm reminded of the time I first saw her like this, reminded of how she said that she'd missed me. She still has that same smile.

Her arms reach out. The palms of her hands show themselves. They lie in the air, waiting.

There's no need to repeat herself. She wants me to give up this bag, so I must. It lowers into her hands and my fingers are clammy but they unfurl easily.

She turns away the instant I let go. She moves a few steps toward her crystal ball again. I watch her stop, open the bag, and rummage through it.

My heart pounds in my chest. I want to shut my eyes but it's as if they're taped open. The sounds of my belongings shifting around are louder than they should be.

She takes out the photo and stares at it. But with her back facing me, I can't tell if she's mad, indifferent, or what. All I can do is wait, but it's hard to just stand here not knowing what will happen. Medusa-sama is as still as a statue and I can't look anywhere else.

She examines the picture without making a sound. She studies it while I hold my breath, afraid that if I make any noise, she'll lash out. All I can hear now is my pulse drumming madly in my ears. It almost hurts, but Medusa-sama stands unmoving for so long that I feel my heart begin to calm down again. My anxiety gradually dies and a faint curiosity takes its place.

I tense when she slowly sets the bag down so that she can hold the photo of Maka with both hands. She grips the edges, but not tightly. She doesn't hold it close, but not far either. The hands that aren't really hers are still and relaxed. Not a single hair on her head sways. Even the air around us seems to be waiting feverishly because it feels sharp and thin, its silence dangling by a thread, ready to be snipped.

I am tempted to ask if she'll let me keep it, but I know I shouldn't speak right now. I don't care about the rest of my stuff anymore. I need to have that picture. I don't want to lose it. I don't want it to be thrown away.

She's moving again. I blink as she lifts the photograph a little, her hands migrating to the top. The two are side by side, grasping firmly. I hear a small tearing sound.

"No, _don't_!"

The words ricochet off the walls and come back to haunt me, scolding me for what I've just done: _No, don't! No, DON'T! _But it's too late. My fate is sealed; she'll definitely punish me now. Somehow it's not what she'll do to _me _that scares me, but what she'll do to Maka…

"So it's true then." Her voice is calm and casual, as if she were stating an obvious fact. "You really thought you were one of them."

I bite my lip. I want to tell her that I _was _one of them—I didn't just think it. Maka told me herself: they were my friends.

Medusa-sama mashes the picture into a ball, inserts it into her pocket, and glances over her shoulder to look at me. "Come here."

One hand wraps around my elbow as I obey. I was hoping my punishment would be something small like going to bed without supper, but it must be worse if she wants me close. I take comfort in the fact that I was wrong. I don't need the picture after all. I can think about Maka whenever I like and it will help me handle whatever this punishment has in store.

I stand in front of Medusa-sama, staring at my feet, but then I remember what a brave person Maka is. So I lift my head a little and peer at her through my bangs. She is frowning. Her eyebrows are raised, sloping. Her eyes aren't as narrow and pointed as they usually are. They are wider, more rounded. She looks almost... sad, as if she's really disappointed in me.

"This should help you focus," she says, "on what's truly important." She raises her hands to her face, curving them around either side of her mouth, like she wants to whisper something to me.

I stoop to her level because I have no choice. She is all I have now. There's nowhere else to go. Her lips begin to move, muttering words under her breath and I turn my head, leaning in slightly so I can hear.

That's when I feel it. Sharp, dry, burning pain.

I stagger—at least I think I do—all my senses are numb and I can't tell what's happening—only that my ear is on fire. There's a thrashing, throbbing, squirming _something _and it's hot as tar and covered in millions of tiny thorns that cut and prick and stab and—

My head jerks back (or does it?) as my mouth stretches wide and I scream—or do I? Everything is a flash of white and the ground doesn't seem like it's beneath my feet anymore. A surge of heat swallows me whole, and my head feels like it's frying from the inside out. The pain digs deeper, scraping and scratching and burning. Is it going to melt my brain? Rip it to shreds? This noise, this amplified knocking, this constant thumping or thudding won't go away and if it doesn't stop my skull is going to crack.

All control is lost. A jolt of agony shoots through me. Then, as quickly as it had come, it leaves and there is nothing. No sound. Nothing broiling in my mind, ramming around with an army of needles. No pain, but no relief either. Have I fainted?

No, wait. I see something.

Or, to be more accurate, I remember something. I'm remembering the last time I saw Maka. She and Soul and Blair are in front of me, clear as day. It's when we said goodbye to each other for the last time. Their lips move but no sounds come out. Their images freeze and begin to grow fuzzy.

Suddenly Maka, Soul, and Blair become a girl, a boy, and a cat.

Why?

They look the same, but they are just a girl with pigtails, a boy with white hair and sharp teeth, and a cat wearing a strange hat. Who are they? I feel like they should mean something to me, but they don't. Their names escape me.

No. Wait. The girl. She is fading, but she seems familiar. Those eyes, those pigtails… Have we met before? Don't I know her? She has a short, simple name, right? I'm not sure why, but I think it's really important that I try to remember who she is. But the harder I try, the faster she slips away.

The three of them disappear completely, leaving only a world of empty white space behind. Then, like a roll of film playing backwards, I see their transparent forms re-enact earlier times, and each memory fizzles out one by one. They move faster, and several other people appear too, and I forget them.

The searing pain is back again because everything's going by too fast. It's like they're being erased by an eraser that's rubbing too hard, threatening to bring about more damage than it's meant to. But despite that, I try to fight back, even though I can't win, but I do it anyway, because every time I see that girl's face, the more I want to know about her.

And then, for a moment—right before the eraser is finished erasing, before the pain evaporates without warning, before I finally succumb to darkness, before I wake up in my room with a terrible headache—for just one moment her name comes to me, and it comes to me loudly, as if I'm screaming it at the top of my lungs.

_MAKA!_

* * *

><p>-xoxo-<p>

* * *

><p>My grip on Ragnarok's hilt loosens slightly as I hold him up to the shiny blue orb floating right in front of us. The light it gives off is warm.<p>

This is the last soul we're collecting tonight. We are hunting for souls because Ragnarok is too small. His blade is skinny, but just as deadly as when he was bigger. I don't remember how he got to be so tiny. When I asked him, he said it was because of an annoying accident. Or maybe he said incident.

As if the night isn't freezing enough already, the wind blows. I tighten my hold again. The cold air settles down as the soul is devoured, never to be seen again. Then I hear a frightened squeal behind me, and I turn just in time to see someone running away from me.

Medusa-sama's voice fills my head. _"After her."_

I don't waste any time. The girl flees and I follow her quickly and quietly, keeping my distance, staying far to the side. The streets are empty and dark. The girl is slow and her breathing is loud and uneven. Her feet crash against the ground. I end up passing her without her knowing.

When she looks over her shoulder and sees no one, her legs go even slower than before. Panting, she walks instead of runs for a while, head still turned. Now's my chance. As her arms wrap themselves around her body to ward off the cold, she stops. She stares behind her, waiting, wondering if she's safe.

I move in front of her and raise Ragnarok high above my head. I am about to bring him down when I notice something that makes me freeze. The girl has a long, skinny pigtail hanging from either side of her head. I don't know why it makes me pause, but it does. I feel like I've seen them somewhere before, but that can't be right. I don't know anyone with pigtails.

I snap back to attention when she notices me. Her eyes widen. Her face pales. I swing. She falls. Ragnarok eats.

Medusa-sama speaks. _"You hesitated."_

I answer her truthfully. "I'm not used to killing girls."

"_It'll get easier," _she tells me, and I believe her. Then she tells us to hurry back. She needs to see us before she has to leave for Shibusen. Something about the black blood and the ability to use multiple swords. But that one word she mentioned sticks out to me, and it's hard to focus on anything else.

Shibusen. That's the place that always interferes with Medusa-sama's plans. It is a powerful organization full of meisters and their weapons. Shibusen is our enemy. I know that much, but I also get the feeling that there's more. I can't shake off the feeling that I know a lot more about that place than I do. It's the same feeling I just got from looking at that girl and her pigtails. These moments of déjà vu have been happening often.

It happens again as we return to Medusa-sama. The night is still cold and my hands feel like they have frost growing on them. I'm not usually bothered by the air's temperature, but for some reason I decide to do something about it. I cup my hands together and blow my warm breath into them. I rub them over each other.

I don't know why, but the action seems familiar. It's as if I've forgotten something really important. Whenever I try to recall the past, dozens of blank spots will pop up. But they're in there somewhere. I know they are. Something in my body tells me that they are. It's almost like my mind doesn't remember, but my soul does.

Thinking about it too much makes my head hurt. My hands are warm now, but everything else is still as cold as ever. I sigh quietly and try not to think about those missing memories.

Medusa-sama needs me. She is my mother.


	5. Theme of Video Game

A/N: It's ZeroVX's birthday today! Didja know that?

How come "video game" is two words instead of one? If it were up to me, "videogame" would be a real word. So would "dress-robe."

* * *

><p>The building that the letter wanted me to go to towered above my head. Tall and gray, it looked like any other building. The only thing unique about it was the entrance. The double doors were engraved with the same logo stamped at the bottom of my letter, so I knew I was at the right place. It was an ordinary Sunday afternoon, but it felt a little too quiet to me. No one went in or out of the building as I stood in front of it, unlike the others on either side.<p>

Maka once said it might be nice if I tried to do something new every day. That was why I was here. I would've ignored the invitation otherwise. I would've just thrown it away and thought nothing of it, but something stopped me. The way it was written, perhaps, how they'd made it seem like I was specially chosen. Though I hadn't played videogames that much, I felt like I'd be able to try out a few without too much trouble.

Steeling myself, I moved my feet forward, reaching out to tug at the door's handle. It swung open easily. I walked into a large, brightly lit room. To my left, I saw a bunch of framed posters hanging along the wall. Each of them showed a different videogame, all made by the same company, all made in this very building. To my right was a reception desk, but no one was sitting behind it.

The whole room was empty and quiet, except for a low humming sound that I supposed was the air conditioner. Straight ahead was an elevator and as I walked to it, I couldn't help but feel like I was being watched. The place was empty and a little unnerving, but I tried to shake the feeling away. Maybe there were more people on the higher floors.

I usually never had a problem with small spaces, but as soon as the elevator took me in and started to move, an invisible boulder began pressing down on me. I thought, _What if I really am the only one here? What if the elevator breaks down? How long would I be stuck here?_

My eyes grew wide, staring at the numbered buttons as they lit up slowly, one at a time. One hand clutched my arm tightly and refused to let go. My jaw was clamped shut. _Hurry, hurry, hurry…_

The elevator finally crawled to a stop, but the doors didn't open. It was all I could do to stand still and _not _try to pull them apart myself. I waited, but nothing happened. I stopped breathing. Then I closed my eyes and did what I always did whenever I was scared. I thought about Maka.

The floor gave a small sway beneath my feet. If Maka were in a situation like this, what would she do? She'd find a way to get out no matter what. I would, too. But that meant I had to _move _first.

The boulder wouldn't let me, though. It was crushing down on my head. My teeth hurt so much I thought they would crack, but then…

There was the sound of the doors sliding away from each other. I opened my eyes and my legs carried me to safety faster than I could blink. Air rushed out of my lungs in deep, calming breaths. My head cleared now that the boulder had vanished. As I relaxed, I decided that when this was over, I'd go back down using the stairs.

The hallway I'd stepped into was bright and empty. Nobody bustled about as I searched for the room that the letter told me to go to. Every door was closed. There was nobody around, but I wished there was. This place was really starting to get a little spooky. The lack of noise made me nervous.

I found the right door and stood in front of it, biting my lip. Was I supposed to knock first? The letter hadn't said if I could just go in. Stepping closer, I wrapped my hand around the doorknob and pressed my ear against the cool, wooden paneling. I closed my eyes and listened. There were no sounds coming from the other side, no voices, no footsteps, nothing. I waited for a sign, no matter how small, but the room seemed to be lifeless.

Slowly and carefully, I turned the knob, freezing when I heard it click. My eyes opened once it was clear that no one was around to break the silence. I really was alone here, so it seemed like it was safe to go inside. The door swung open just enough for me to poke my head in and take a quick look around. The room was empty like I'd guessed, so I stepped forward and shut the door behind me.

I was pretty sure I was in an office. There was a desk, a computer, a filing cabinet, a bookshelf, and a… sofa set in front of a widescreen plasma TV. As I made my way over to it, I noticed that though the shades were drawn over the room's only window, it wasn't dark because the lights were already on. It was as if the people who sent me the invitation _knew _that I'd accept it. Maybe they knew I was already here…? Instinctively, I checked each corner of the ceiling, but couldn't find any security cameras. It still felt like I was being watched, though. Maybe they were hidden.

In between the television and the sofa was a low glass table. It had two videogame cases, two wireless videogame controllers, one pen, and one envelope with my name written on it in capital letters. Each item was neatly arranged, like they'd been waiting patiently for me.

Taking the envelope in my hands, I ripped it open to find another letter similar to the first one I'd received. Like before, the company's logo was stamped at the bottom. I read through it, ready to begin my one new experience for the day.

_We thank you for your participation_._ Feel free to play both games for as long as you like_. _When finished_, _please take the time to fill out a short survey_. _Your opinion is of great importance to us_.

_Rest assured_, _these games were made to be used only for today_. _They are the only copies_, _so handle them with care_. _They will never be released to the public_.

_We hope you enjoy them_, _Chrona_.

My brow furrowed in confusion as I finished reading. I couldn't help but wonder why they would make something that they didn't intend to sell. And why did they need to tell me that? What was there to be "rest assured" about? Just what kind of games was I supposed to play? And where was this survey they mentioned?

It was then that I noticed another envelope had been placed beneath the one I had already picked up. It was marked: "Survey, To Be Opened After Playing."

At first I'd assumed I would be part of a group of gamers who had gotten letters too, but now I was starting to believe I had been singled out on purpose. But that didn't seem right. I only played videogames every now and then. I wasn't that much of a gamer, so why would they target me specifically?

I looked at the videogames to see what I was getting myself into, but my face fell when I saw that both covers were nothing but ordinary white sheets of paper with writing on them. One was titled, "Game #1" and the other was called, "Game #2." I opened the first game, but the disc was as plain as its case. It looked like I would just have to dive in and play them to find out what they were about.

As I set things up, though, my nervousness only increased. I had no idea what I was going to see. Maka once told me it was okay to fear the unknown, but sometimes it was best to face it head-on.

I tried to relax as I settled down on the sofa, controller in hand. I tried to prepare myself for anything. Then I felt Ragnarok emerge. He gave my head a quick poke and talked in a voice full of confidence. "Alright, let's do this. Hand me that other controller, and get ready to have your ass whooped."

"Y-You don't know if it's that kind of game," I muttered as I gave him the wireless device.

"Fighting game or not, you're still gonna get beat."

"How are you going to play without opposable thumbs?" I asked.

"I'll manage."

The console then hummed and whirred, and the two of us quieted down so we could watch the game's opening movie. But all we saw was a black screen. There were no pictures or sounds as we waited. We sat there for a while, staring at our own reflections. Soon I began to worry. Had something gone wrong? But the power was on, so…

"Nice one, Chrona. You broke it."

"I didn't break it!" At least I hoped I didn't. I was certain I hadn't done anything wrong when I set it up. "It's probably just… loading."

I wondered if I'd have to pay the company if I really did break it. My teeth ground together as the silence stretched. We waited and waited and waited some more, until it felt like my feet were close to falling asleep. There were no changes at all until, at long last, we heard something. The screen was still black, but we could hear a voice. It was crystal clear, and it was very, very familiar.

I froze. It was _too _familiar.

"A sound soul…" a girl's voice stated, "dwells within a sound mind… and a sound body."

The controller slipped from my grasp and hit the floor with a tiny thud. We sat there, staring, not moving. I could see nothing but ourselves reflected in the black screen. Ragnarok's eyes had widened. My head suddenly felt a little too heavy. I watched it tilt to one side, an expression of disbelief glued to its face. I looked like a marionette with a useless, lolling head.

I was utterly stunned. Speechless. Only Ragnarok was able to think of something appropriate to say at a time like this.

"…_What_."

Before either of us had a chance to fully recover, the screen stopped being black and the game's introduction began. Fast action music played while flashes of moving pictures raced by.

It was… _us_.

Maka, Soul, Black*Star, Kid… everyone.

Even me.

"Weird" didn't even come close to describing how it felt to look at virtual, near exact replicas of people I knew. Though a little crude, the details were pretty accurate, from the styles of our clothes to our hair to our eyes. The movements were kind of stiff and jerky, but they weren't that noticeable. The music reached its peak and the opening sequence ended, fading to black again. Ragnarok and I continued to stare as we let it all sink in, still wondering if what we were seeing was true.

The company had turned us into three-dimensional videogame characters. Questions flooded my mind, running into each other, but I didn't have time to sort them out because the game's main menu appeared. There was no music or colorful image in the background. There was no title. There wasn't even a "Press Start" command. All it showed was a list: Story Mode, Practice Mode, VS Mode, and 2-Player VS Mode.

A sudden rush of curiosity overwhelmed me, bringing me out of my shock. I moved my fingers and noticed that my controller had disappeared. Finding it on the floor, I picked it up and tried to mentally loosen the knot between my shoulders. This was just a game. I reminded myself that no matter what, it wasn't real. Even though it seemed that way, it really wasn't. It was just a bunch of pixels. Dots on a screen.

Still… I hoped I'd be able to handle this. I had expected something new, but I never thought it'd be anywhere near _this _new.

I held the controller firmly and selected an option from the list. Practice Mode seemed like a good place to start.

The screen went blank for a moment, then brightened to reveal a collection of not just my friends, but other people I recognized. The words "Select a Character" were fixed at the top while the names and faces of all the playable characters resided underneath, waiting to be chosen. Already highlighted was Maka, along with Soul. They were partners, so it made sense that they would have to be selected together.

I quietly took in a deep breath and let it out again as I searched through the entire cast. I tried not to focus on certain people for too long, though, like Giriko. Like… Medusa…

My hands were suddenly in danger of shaking uncontrollably, so I quickly moved the cursor to the first person I thought of: myself.

Something strange happened the instant I pressed a button to confirm my decision, and I jumped. Two voices rang from the TV, short and quick, one proclaiming, "I can handle this," and the other giving a swift, sharp screech. They sounded just like us! Maybe a little… too much…

As the tutorial loaded, Ragnarok spoke with a mixture of suspicion and amazement. "How… How did they record our voices?"

I really wanted to believe that they didn't, that they just used some kind of advanced computer technology or just had some very talented voice actors. I did _not _want to think that the company had secretly been researching the lives of a group of students from Shibusen and the people connected to them for reasons I'd never be able to understand. I did not want to think of cameras hidden in our classroom, of people in suits following my friends and bugging their houses and…

I shook those thoughts from my mind. A legitimate business wouldn't resort to spying… right?

Practice Mode began and it felt almost surreal to make a pixilated model of myself move around. In no time at all, I learned and mastered every technique. I could attack, jump, block, and perform combos and specials. A motionless dummy served as my opponent, and the other Chrona would occasionally make remarks as it swung the demonic black sword about. To be honest, it was kind of annoying sometimes.

"Am I really that whiny when I fight?" I asked Ragnarok.

"Yup."

"And do I really tell people my blood is black _that _often?"

"_All_. _The_. _Time_."

I held back a grumble. I didn't mind too much, but I just hoped the others weren't made that way, either. After all, Kid didn't talk about symmetry _that _much, and Black*Star didn't care about surpassing God _that _much… right?

Having seen enough, Ragnarok was ready to challenge me in 2-Player VS Mode but I was really curious about Story Mode. I just wanted to play a little bit, to see what it was like.

The beginning of this mode was almost the same as the opening introduction: a black screen with Maka's voice narrating. It almost felt like I was watching a real movie and Maka, of course, was the heroine. I listened to the voice explain the purpose of the academy as if I were hearing it for the first time. I wondered how the real Maka would react if she were here with me right now.

"In order to make Soul become a Death Scythe, we needed to capture just one more soul… A witch's…"

The voice faded away and all was silent for a few moments, until another familiar voice drifted in. It sounded like it was humming. As it grew clearer, I realized that it was someone singing lightly. A happy, carefree tone of voice. It sounded like… Oh, no.

I quickly shut my eyes and lowered my head just as the screen brightened up abruptly.

"Whoa!"

Even if Ragnarok hadn't said anything, I'd still be able to tell what was going on. That voice was Blair's. It was her quietly singing "la la la…" on the TV. There was also the sound of water splashing gently, so I knew that she was taking a bath. I kept my head ducked down low, waiting for the scene to change.

Ragnarok grabbed a single strand of hair from my head and yanked it out. I bit down hard on my lip to stop myself from crying out. "Stop being a wuss! It's not even showing that much!"

I refused to open my eyes. Ragnarok's definition of "decent" was very, _very _different from mine.

I waited for Maka and Soul to announce their presence, but all I could hear was the water sloshing around in the tub. This _was _"Story Mode," right? So that meant those two should be bursting into the spotlight any second now. I remembered Maka telling me how they'd first met Blair. They'd mistaken her for a witch.

My ear received a quick tug. "Nothing's gonna happen if you don't press the button to move on, dumbass."

At first I had no idea what he was talking about, but then I remembered that videogames had different ways of constructing scenes. I wanted to roll my eyes. This just _had _to be the kind where the already-spoken-out-loud dialogue was combined with text for players to read along. Text that wouldn't go away until I did something about it. Still keeping my head down and eyes closed, I moved my thumb and pressed a button. Soon there was a crash, a yell, and the sound of Maka's voice scolding Soul for barging in on their target. I pressed my thumb down every time I heard a long pause.

Battle music signaled the end of the scene, so I looked up. Blair was fully clothed on one side of the screen while Maka positioned herself to fight on the other, scythe in hand. A robotic voice announced the start of Round One.

I paused the game.

The music instantly shut off. A little menu popped up. I stared. My thumb hovered in midair, frozen and stiff. One thought raced through my mind.

I had to play as Maka.

Not that there was anything wrong with that, but… I would have to _play _as _Maka_. Well, not really Maka, but a simulated model that looked like her. I would be pulling her strings. I would be able to make her move, jump, and attack. It seemed wrong; I shouldn't have control over Maka as if she were a thoughtless puppet. Plus, what if I lost the fight? It'd be all my fault. I didn't want to see Maka, real or not, fall to the ground, hurt and defeated.

"What gives?"

I highlighted the option to quit the game. "I… I've seen enough." Not only because I wasn't comfortable with the notion of controlling Maka, but also… If Story Mode was anything like I imagined, then surely there'd eventually be a battle between her and myself. Then later there'd be _another _battle between the two of us. It would be better to quit now before any of that happened.

I went to 2-Player VS Mode, where Ragnarok and I were able to choose any character we wanted. Not really interested in playing anybody in particular, I chose myself again. Ragnarok wondered aloud what would happen if he chose the same character as me. I shrugged, doubting the game would even let him. But if everything ended up freezing or messing up or breaking down, it wouldn't bother me, because by now I was beginning to wonder what the second game was going to be like.

To my surprise and confusion, Ragnarok was allowed to select the other Chrona, too. What was the point of having two players fight with the exact same character? It made no sense. It had been weird enough controlling something that resembled me, but now it was about to get weirder.

I definitely wasn't expecting my opponent to be dressed all in white instead of black. Apparently, it was a way to tell the two apart as we forced them to battle. Ragnarok took me by surprise. Somehow, he was able to control his character with amazing speed and accuracy. It was as if he'd been playing this game for years.

He beat me the first time and then the second. He beat me three more times using different characters. He told me that I sucked and demanded to know if I was even trying. It was kind of ironic, really. I could hold my own when it came to a real fight, but I wasn't too good at something that was just a game. Or maybe Ragnarok was just too hard to beat. Or maybe I was just still a little uncomfortable with playing something that looked like me.

We fought until Ragnarok got tired of winning. I was glad to be done, but now we'd have to take a look at the second game. I wasn't sure what to expect. But I was too curious to quit now and, after all, it couldn't be that bad now that most of the shock had gone. I loaded the new disc into the console and waited.

Game #2 didn't have an opening movie; it just went straight to the main menu. The background was pink and dotted with skulls. A light piano tune played as the center of the screen offered me two options to pick from: Story Mode and Minigames. I chose the latter. The screen showed me a message.

_You have not unlocked any Minigames_.

Ragnarok grunted. "So they're gonna make you work for them? How dare they."

I bit my bottom lip. Playing Story Mode would mean I'd have to play whoever they wanted, unless they'd give me a list of characters to choose from like in the first game. But the calm piano tune made it seem like this wasn't a fighting game, so what kind was it?

The music and picture faded away as Story Mode loaded. There was the faint sound of an alarm clock ringing, followed by a _clack _as whoever shut it off yawned. It sounded like a little girl.

The screen then brightened, and the scene set in front of me proved that I was right. But I didn't think the little girl would be Maka. There she stood, in a plain little dress in a bright little bedroom, her pigtails adorned with ribbons. The same soft music from the title screen began to play. There was a message glowing at the top, telling me how to move and inspect items. It was telling me to look under the bed, but my fingers wouldn't budge. I didn't want to play as her.

It bothered me that I didn't have a choice. I knew that nobody was forcing me to play; I could stop whenever I wanted. But, as much as I hated to admit, I was still curious. Why was Maka so young? What was under the bed? What would it be like to have her walk around?

I relaxed my hands. I came here to try something new, not to give up halfway.

I turned the little Maka around so that she was facing us. For a three-dimensional virtual character, she was pretty cute. Her eyes were big and her smile was nice and simple. I moved her toward the bed and made her search under it. Another glowing message popped up.

_You found some money! Use it to purchase clothes and other accessories at the Mall_.

"Oh, _hell _no." Ragnarok dropped his controller, letting it fall onto the sofa. "This is one of those kiddie adventure games, isn't it?"

I opened my mouth to say that it certainly looked that way, but quickly shut it when I heard knocking from the TV. I leaned forward slightly as another message appeared, telling me to answer the door. I had Maka move again and she opened the door easily; all of her surroundings were small and short, designed essentially for children. I had a feeling everything in this game would be like that.

A young version of Soul was revealed and, in a childish voice that still kind of resembled his regular one, he told Maka that Blair needed their help in the kitchen. A new message announced that I had unlocked Soul as a playable character for Minigames mode. But then something strange happened. Cheerful music played during the announcement as Soul and Maka moved toward each other. They hugged and then did a little bow while holding hands, their foreheads touching momentarily. The jingle faded out as they let go. Strange, but sort of cute.

The two of them stood facing each other while the next request told me to go to the kitchen, so I did. I was a little surprised to see Soul follow Maka as I made her walk. We met Blair the cat near the stove and a minigame began. The goal was to help her prepare a meal using a bunch of cooking ingredients as quickly as possible. All I had to do was press a series of buttons at the right moment until the timer ran out. It got harder as the clock neared its last few seconds; the buttons started to speed by so fast that I could barely keep up.

But apparently I didn't do such a bad job, because another message said I'd just unlocked the very first minigame. If I wanted to play it again, I just needed to talk to Blair in this mode or select the Minigames option at the main menu. I figured the latter would allow for two players to compete against each other. I was about to ask Ragnarok if he wanted to play, but after yawning loudly he decided to sink back into me, muttering about how boring this videogame was.

I wasn't ready to stop. Soul was now asking Maka to go and invite all their friends over for a visit. When I had Maka leave the kitchen, he didn't follow her. I explored the house for a bit, finding money behind and beneath all kinds of furniture, before stepping outside. A map was displayed in the top right corner. Another message glowed at me, telling me to use the map to find my way to Kid's place.

The only living things roaming the cobblestone streets were birds and butterflies. It was the kind of game where it was impossible to be killed. The town was sunny, spacious, and pretty. Soft music played in the background. Maka's footsteps padded the ground, her shadow mimicking her movements. I walked past the Mall, deciding that I would save up more money before checking for things to buy.

It was a little weird to watch Maka enter Kid's house without even knocking. It was weirder to have her search around his house for cash. I wondered why some videogames were like that—entering and taking things without permission and getting away with it. Who came up with that idea, anyway?

I couldn't find Kid, but I did find the Thompson sisters. As soon as I talked to them, a new minigame challenge started. Patty had made all the paintings in the house crooked, so my job was to find them and fix them before Kid showed up and noticed. At the end of it, Maka invited them all to her house to play. One by one, she hugged and bowed with them, holding their hands as the same music from when I unlocked Soul played. Then the three of them lined up in a row and followed Maka as I led them all back to her house.

Getting Black*Star and Tsubaki was pretty much the same, only their place had me complete two minigames instead of one. When I brought them back, I expected there to be a little cutscene or something since everyone had been gathered. But it turned out I hadn't beaten Story Mode just yet.

"Only one more to go," the little Maka proclaimed. And then a new message told me what I needed to do.

_Find Chrona_.

Those two words surprised me. I'd forgotten that I might be featured in this game, too. My mind raced with all sorts of questions. I wasn't sure how I should feel. Wary? Curious? Eager? Nervous? What sort of minigame would I have to play to unlock myself? Would Maka hug me and hold hands with me like she had with the others…?

My throat had gone dry, so I swallowed and forced my thumb to move. Maka went outside and the map began to glow for a few seconds. It showed me that a brand new section had been unlocked in the town. No doubt that was where the little me was.

As Maka made her way toward the new location, the cobblestone streets gradually became dirt roads. Buildings grew fewer in number and more trees took their place. Pretty soon I had reached a spot tucked away near the edge of town. There was a pond, and a bunch of grass and flowers. Sitting at the pond's edge was a huddled figure with a pile of light-colored hair on its head. The gentle music that had always played when I walked around town was gone. All that could be heard were the sounds of the water swaying in the pond and birds chirping in the distance. And Maka's footsteps. I wasn't controlling her anymore.

She moved on her own, walking right up to the other me. "Hi, Chrona."

There was movement as the game camera shifted, and I could see two wide eyes gazing up into bright green ones. The child's voice, so soft and so much like my own, could just barely be heard over the trickling of pond water. "Maka."

"What are you doing here?" she asked curiously.

Chrona looked down, cheeks slightly flushed. A brief moment of silence passed. "N-Nothing… I'm just… thinking."

"Can I sit and think with you?"

Chrona blinked, peering back up at Maka in surprise. Then, after a few seconds, nodded slowly.

Maka sat down next to Chrona, drawing her knees up and hugging them. The two of them were sitting the same way, watching the scenery before them. For a while all was still and quiet except for the sounds of nature. Unlike Maka, Chrona didn't smile, and I wondered what each of them was thinking about.

She was still smiling when she spoke again, but she kept looking straight ahead. "Chrona? Do you want to come over and play?"

The other me didn't answer right away. The round, young face had an unreadable blank expression. Even though it was just a videogame character, I knew it had heard what Maka said. But it continued to stare, lost and unmoving like a doll.

Maka was patient. She sat and waited for an answer, her smile never fading. She didn't seem bothered at all. She, too, was motionless. For one frightful moment, I thought the game had frozen. They were so still.

Then Chrona spoke, hands twisting together. "If… If you want, then… Okay."

Maka made a small, happy humming noise in her throat before blinking her eyes. She stood up and faced the other me. Little Chrona looked up at her and carefully got up, too. I held my breath because I thought I knew what was coming next.

I was right. It happened. They wrapped their arms around each other and hugged.

_You've unlocked Chrona!_

The same cheery music from before played as the two children held hands and bowed. The sight made my throat feel tight. I slowly let myself exhale, watching me and Maka linger in our embrace. Little Chrona eventually pulled back and gave Maka a tiny, nervous smile. The music faded, but no new message popped up telling me what to do, because I already knew. Maka was letting me guide her again, so I had her head back to her place, with the other Chrona following close behind.

Gathering everyone together was all I had to do to complete the story. A final movie showed them having fun together, enjoying each other's company, and then the credits rolled. I had beaten the game.

It was obvious that Game #2 had been designed for children, but I still wished there had been more. They should've put in more things to do besides play a few minigames. The credits ended rather quickly, as if the developers were afraid of giving away too much information. It made me a little suspicious, but then again, they _had _said that these were the only copies, never to be released officially.

I was automatically taken back into Story Mode, where a new message was waiting for me. It announced that as a reward for finishing the game, I could now choose to play any character I wanted. I could explore the world freely. It also said I was allowed to have any other character accompany me. And I could switch at any time.

For the next half hour, I searched everywhere I could for more money. I played as myself, with Little Maka following me around like a cute shadow. I took all my savings and went to the Mall to buy all kinds of shoes and clothes for us to dress up in.

After that, I decided to stop. I was getting thirsty and I remembered there being vending machines down in the lobby. But now that I was done playing, only one more thing needed to be taken care of.

I turned off the system and the widescreen TV, putting the controllers back on the table and returning the disc to its proper place. I picked up the pen and the envelope containing the survey.

I received yet another surprise. I knew the survey would be short, but I didn't think it would have just one question.

_Which game did you enjoy the most? Circle one answer and leave this form on the desk behind you_.

Those last words gave me a start as that uneasy feeling sank in again. I glanced behind me, but there was nobody there. I checked the corners of the ceiling, but there still weren't any cameras watching me. Relaxing my shoulders, I placed the tip of the pen onto the sheet of paper and circled the choice that read "Game #2."

_I'm finished, Maka_, I thought to myself. I got through my new experience for the day in one piece. As I walked out of the room, I wondered if I should tell everyone else about this. If I had to guess, I'd say they probably wouldn't believe me. Now that it was over, I had to admit I still had some trouble accepting it all. Did all of that really just happen? And I still couldn't help but wonder… Why me? Had this all been a coincidence?

I closed the door behind me. The act had a sense of finality to it. I had a feeling that once I left this building, I'd never set foot in it again. All of my questions would be left unanswered forever.

My fingers let go of the doorknob. At least I had a little bit of fun, though.

I thought about Chrona and Maka hugging and bowing, how happy they looked even though they weren't real.

I paused in the hallway, letting myself get lost in that image. A little smile grew on my face. Then I moved my feet and walked straight into the direction of the elevator.


	6. Theme of Joke

Maka thought it was all her fault, but not only was that ridiculous, it was impossible, and she knew it. The rain had come out of nowhere; no one could have predicted it.

A few days ago, Maka had instructed us (Soul, Blair, and me) not to disturb her for the next twenty-four hours so she could work on the essay due in class next week. She kept her door closed, stepping out only to use the bathroom or get something to eat or drink.

Later that evening, her door creaked open again, but only her voice traveled out. "Chrona? Could you come here please?"

I was already there before she could even finish asking. Maka let me through and closed the door behind me. I always loved being in her room. It was amazing to know that I was standing in the same place where she slept, changed, studied, dreamed, and did her homework. I liked the colors of the walls and furniture because they were bright and fun, just like her.

Maka was already dressed in her striped pajamas, her long fluffy hair hanging past her shoulders. Why was everything about her so beautiful? It almost made it impossible for me not to smile around her. I used to not like smiling that much because it usually made me self-conscious. But Maka told me my smiles were cute, so I stopped minding and tried to show them whenever I could.

"Two things, Chrona." Maka sat at her desk, turning her chair to face me as I sat myself down on her bed. She picked up a stack of papers with a bunch of messy scrawls and arrows and scratched-out markings on it.

I was a little shocked; her work was usually neat and tidy.

"This is just brainstorming," she explained, reading the look on my face. "I've started the rough draft, and I want to read some of it to you. Is that okay?"

I nodded and answered yes eagerly because I loved doing favors for her. And the sound of her voice was something I could listen to all day.

She read a few paragraphs and I did my best to tell her what I thought of them. I knew I wasn't much help, but it didn't matter. The important thing was that I was here to listen. Once we got that out of the way, Maka explained the second reason for calling me. She wanted me to run down to the store to get her a few notebooks. She still had plenty of paper to use, but she ran out of notebooks and needed more.

"How many do you need?"

"Just three for now. Sure you don't mind?" she asked, handing me some money.

"I don't mind."

"Thanks. Don't forget to wear a jacket, alright? It's cold."

I should've taken a heavier jacket. Barely two minutes after I went outside, the air cut through my clothes as if they weren't even there. I walked with my arms around me, rubbing now and then but the gesture only offered a little bit of warmth. Soon I could see my breath streaming from my mouth like little clouds.

Though the city was lit, it still seemed kind of dark to me for some reason. Then I glanced up and realized how the sky looked. A deep navy blue ocean spanned above me, so blue it was practically black. The moon was nowhere to be found. Either that, or it wasn't high enough yet or I just couldn't see it from where I was.

No wind blew, but I shivered suddenly. It felt like the temperature was dropping by the second. I feared that my lips would start turning blue, my teeth freezing into ice cubes. Still, I pressed on, trying to ignore the cold. The sooner I made it to the store, the sooner I could go back. Along the way, I pictured things that were warm to help the time move faster. I thought about the steaming bowl of popcorn we had a few nights ago when we all watched a movie together, the heat of the soft buttery piece as it melted in my mouth. I thought about Maka's hugs, the way her hands always seemed warm whenever she rubbed my back or touched my face.

I reached the store and was glad to find that the notebooks there were available in all sorts of colors. I picked out three that were in Maka's favorite color and paid for them. I didn't ask for a bag because they were light and easy to carry.

I left the store hugging them to my chest. The night wasn't just cold now; it was freezing. I clamped my mouth shut to stop my teeth from chattering. There was nothing I could do about my shoulders shuddering, though, so I focused on moving my legs forward. The quicker I got home, the better.

That was when I felt something wet hit the top of my head. I didn't have time to even wonder what it was because it was immediately followed by another, and another. What started as a light drizzle turned into unmistakable _rain _in a matter of seconds.

I kept moving, but the apartment was still so far away. If the rain kept falling at this rate, Maka's notebooks were going to get wet. They would be useless if that happened, ruined.

A gust of wind snuck up behind me, slicing through my skin. It howled in my ears, threatening to snatch the notebooks from my grasp, but I wouldn't let it. My hair was flapping, my bangs whipping at my eyes, but I refused to blink. I kept moving.

Out of nowhere, a bright flash illuminated everything in sight, startling me so much that I nearly dropped the notebooks. I braced myself for what was coming next and there it was—the rolling boom of thunder.

The rain wasn't just falling anymore. It was beginning to _pour_.

I panicked.

Maka's notebooks were going to get soaked if I didn't do something. Hugging them tightly wasn't enough. My hands started to move before I even told them what to do. I couldn't think about anything except keeping these notebooks dry and safe. At the moment, nothing else mattered and nothing else existed. It was just me, the notebooks, and the storm.

I slowed down just a little, but kept moving. If I rushed, I might drop them. One hand held them close to my body while the other hand grabbed hold of the zipper on my jacket. I pulled down and as fast as I could—there was no time for mistakes—I wrapped up all three notebooks in the folds of the cloth. I fitted them snugly, folding and wrapping, and finished by rolling the sleeves around the whole thing and tying them into a tight knot.

The rain poured on, coming down in sheets. It felt like I was trapped in an ice-cold shower, and I was too blind to find the handle to shut it off. But just the same, I kept my eyes open, blinking out water all the while. I kept my head down low, trying to somehow protect my jacket from the rain, only looking up occasionally to make sure I didn't bump into anything or stray in the wrong direction. I leaned forward, bending over my jacket and holding it close as tightly as I could.

The wind died down, so I took the chance to walk faster. My feet kicked up puddles of water; the streets were covered in them. Two more flashes of light dazzled me, nearly making me dizzy. Thunder roared again, louder than last time, and I broke into a run. I feared the water would start to seep through the jacket if I didn't hurry.

My hair was soaked. It clung stubbornly to my head, sticking. The water was already seeping into my shoes, drenching my feet. The rain pounded on my back, trying to reach the notebooks, but I wouldn't let it. Nothing was going to stop me from—

Something hard and slippery got in the way of my foot, and I stumbled. I wanted to keep going, but I could feel my balance weakening. I hated that I couldn't stop myself from tripping. Unable to do anything about it, I fell. Gritting my teeth, I twisted my body at the last moment so that I'd land on my side.

My shoulder seethed with pain as I hit the ground. Icy water pierced my skin, but I still hugged the bundle close to me. Rain struck my face, slithering into my nose, my mouth, my ear. I was probably bruised, but I didn't have any time to waste. Forcing myself back up, my legs carried me off again, the running now shifting into an all-out sprint.

My body ached and my hands were beginning to feel numb, but I didn't care. The knot was still tight and secure, so that meant I still had a chance. The cold air jabbed my lungs as I breathed it in, but my speed brought some warmth; it allowed me to fight back.

The storm seemed to be getting heavier, but at last I could see the apartment building just ahead. I slowed down, nearly slipping and falling again.

The first thing I did when I walked in the door was set the jacket on the kitchen table and then made my way toward the bathroom, thankful that no one was using it. I knew I was trailing water all over the floor, but I was sure nobody would mind. I wanted to get out of these wet clothes as soon as possible, but Maka's voice stopped me just before I reached inside the bathroom. I turned, standing in the doorway, shivering.

"There you are—What happened to your jacket?" Her eyes widened at how drenched I was, at the puddle under my shoes.

"It's in the kitchen—I used it to keep your notebooks dry… But they might still be wet anyway—I'm sorry… I should've asked for a bag, I should've brought an umbrella…"

"It's alright, Chrona," she said, frowning. "Just don't do that again, okay? Don't take your jacket off when it's raining, even if it's for my sake."

She turned away, telling me to wait while she got my pajamas for me. She handed them to me, telling me to meet her in the kitchen after I was finished.

The notebooks and the jacket had been removed from the table, the floor now dried. Maka was waiting for me at the table, a mug of fresh hot chocolate in her hands. There was another steaming mug across from her, and I realized it was meant for me.

I sat down and thanked her. She smiled at me. I picked up the mug and held it to my lips, but didn't take a sip. I really wanted to ask if the notebooks had gotten wet, but was sort of afraid of what the answer would be. So I said nothing.

The two of us drank our hot chocolate together, listening to the raging storm outside.

* * *

><p>-xoxo-<p>

* * *

><p>I woke up the next morning sneezing. I felt like I could barely walk. I couldn't remember the last time I'd gotten sick. Maka blamed herself for sending me out in the first place, but we both knew it wasn't her fault.<p>

At first I thought it wouldn't be so bad, because Maka was happy to take care of me. She did things like make me soup and tuck me in at night and bring me a box of tissue. But she could never stay long because I didn't want her to catch my cold. Thankfully, it only lasted a few days.

I made a full recovery, but Maka wanted me to rest for one more day. She put me to bed even though it was morning. It wasn't fair. Everyone was going on a picnic today, and now I couldn't go too because Maka wouldn't let me.

"I want to go with you guys… I'm feeling better…"

"I know," she said, fluffing my pillow. "But it's just for today, just in case."

She sounded a bit worried, so I didn't complain. I kept quiet and watched as she stood over me, adjusting the covers for me. She moved slowly, carefully, smoothing out all the creases. Then her hands met my face and I instantly forgot how to blink. She stared back at me, the warmth of her hands causing all the tense muscles in my body to relax. But only briefly, because she leaned down, eyes drifting shut as her face inched closer to mine.

Her fingers felt light on my skin, as if she thought I was something fragile that could break without warning. But my arms were made of lead at the moment. I couldn't move as she brushed my bangs aside, holding them in place so she could lower her lips to my forehead. I stopped breathing, fingernails digging into my palms.

My heartbeat thumped in my ears. I wasn't used to this sort of thing yet, and I felt bad because of it. I should feel easy around her, but it always made me nervous whenever she got this close. It was different from a hug or a smile. My head began to sink into the pillow from some invisible pressure.

Maka held her lips there, pigtails dangling. She didn't press, though. She stayed very still, as though trying to capture the moment and make it last. Or to make me more comfortable.

The air was heavy, pushing me deeper into the mattress. I couldn't see anything but the patch of flesh that was Maka's neck. So close.

Her fingers stayed in place when she spoke. Her voice was a murmur. "Stay here, alright?"

I wished I could see her face. Swallowing, I answered, "I will," and loosened my hands. Her pigtails grazed my cheeks as her head pulled back. The air was light again, the pressure disappearing.

She released my bangs, but was still bent over me, still holding me. She fixed me with a steady gaze, eyes hard, brow furrowed. "If Blair does anything weird, let me know, okay?"

Blair wasn't going to the picnic either because her job was to stay behind as my caretaker. It was also her job to stop me in case I tried to sneak out, but now I had promised Maka I'd rest for the day, so that was what I'd do. I wasn't too worried about Blair bothering me, though. If that happened, Maka would know just how to deal with her later on.

After giving her a nod, I felt her hands slide away. As soon as they left my face, I missed them. But as always, the warmth lingered.

When Maka left my side, she kept the door open a little. I closed my eyes and tried to go to sleep for a while, but it was no use because I wasn't tired at all. Instead I thought about how much fun everyone would soon be having at the picnic. They weren't going too far, and I wondered if I'd be able to hear them if I opened up the window. Though tempting, I stayed right where I was. Instead, I decided to pass the time by imagining myself with them.

I must've drifted off, because the next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes to the sound of purring. A ball of purple fur rested at my side.

I sat upright and hurriedly rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Blair rolled onto her back, stretching her legs as far as they could reach. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't wearing a hat, so at first I didn't recognize her. She was pressed against me, tail sliding across my knee, toes spread wide apart. Still purring, she blinked up at me and relaxed her feet.

"Oh good, you're up," she said, waving a front paw in midair. "It's been so boring. Let's go play outside!"

I flinched when she began to rub her head against my leg. Though I wasn't drowsy, I had trouble finding my voice. I opened my mouth but had to struggle to get the words out. "I p-promised Maka I'd s-stay here. And y-you're supposed to keep me here, remember?"

Blair's smile didn't waver at all. Her eyes lit up, turning bright like the pink colorings on her cheeks. She rolled onto her stomach, no longer touching me. "You know," she said, "I think the real reason Maka wants you to stay inside is because of what today is."

"Sunday?"

"No, silly. It's the first day of April." Seeing the confused look on my face, she went on, "You know… April Fool's Day."

My eyebrows pinched together as I tried to figure out what she was talking about. That phrase sounded a little familiar; I might've heard it once, but I couldn't remember. Giving up, I asked, "What's that?"

Blair tilted her head to one side, perking her ears. "Well… It's _sort of_ like a holiday, but not really. It's like… Remember that day a few weeks ago, when Maka told you to wear something green?"

I nodded. "Saint Patrick's Day. Anyone who doesn't wear green on that day might get pinched." At first I hadn't thought Maka was serious when she explained it to me. But all throughout the day I saw many people dressed in green, and I saw many of them—mostly kids—pinch the ones that weren't. It was all very strange to me, but Maka had gone out of her way to get me a cute little pin shaped like a shamrock, so I just went along with it. I didn't try to pinch anyone, though. I didn't see the point.

"April Fool's Day is kinda like that, only there's no way to protect yourself. Nobody's safe. It's a day where people go around pulling pranks on each other and yelling, 'April Fools!' If you ask me, that's the real reason why Maka wouldn't let you go with them."

An entire day devoted to mischief and trickery? I wasn't too surprised by that actually, but could Blair be right? Did Maka make me stay behind so nobody could play tricks on me? But our friends wouldn't do that.

…Well, I supposed Black*Star might. Or maybe Patty.

"She really does worry about you a lot, huh?"

I looked away, feeling my cheeks grow hot. Whatever her reasons, Maka was only thinking about me. I wondered if I'd do the same thing if I were in her shoes.

Blair placed a paw on my thigh and said, "Fine, if you don't want to play outside, then let's play right here."

I shifted away from her touch, staring at the window's closed, dusty blinds. Using my thumb, I swept a few specks off the sill and asked what we were supposed to do. She hummed, swishing her tail lazily, and asked if I had any toys. I didn't have much of anything in the first place, but I moved toward the edge of the bed anyway, reaching for the dresser's top drawer.

I searched through it, hoping to find some string or something. I'd never really played with a cat before, but I figured they'd be easy to entertain. There wasn't any string, but I found a hand-held mirror instead. After taking it out, I turned it over in my hands, watching as the glass caught the light that the blinds couldn't block.

Blair made a quick trilling sound. I held the mirror steady and saw that she was looking not at my hands, but at a spot of light on the covers. Her tail had gone still. She stared at the small bright spot with wide, unmoving eyes. I tilted the mirror and the spot moved with it, as did Blair's head. Every time I moved the light, she followed it.

Her legs brought her into a crouching position. I held the mirror still. She focused on the spot between us, waiting for the right moment to strike. As soon as she pounced, I turned the mirror and the spot dashed out of the way just in time.

But she didn't stop there. Completely unfazed, her paws slammed down on the light only for it to slip away again. She scampered across the bed, swiping at it. The bright little patch slid back and forth, side to side, around and around in tiny circles. Blair's tail swung wildly in her attempts to catch the light.

I rotated the mirror and dragged the spot over to the floor. Leaping off the mattress and landing with ease, the cat chased her target like her life depended on it. She was never too far behind. She never slowed down or hesitated. Even when I hid the light underneath the dresser, Blair quickly knelt down low and stretched out her front leg. At first I was afraid she'd scratch up the floor, but I didn't hear any ripping sounds, so I knew she was keeping her claws retracted.

Slowly, the bright patch moved into plain sight. It crawled along the floor until it hit a wall. Blair followed. The light started to climb up the wall until it reached a point that was well above the cat's head. But that didn't stop her. All she had to do was stand on two legs. Her paws tried to keep up with the spot as it began to move horizontally. She ended up falling to all four feet and had to go directly below the patch to reach it easily. I held it still for her.

She stood up again and pressed her paws against it. As soon as she did, I moved it up some more. The spot now rested kind of close to the ceiling. I kept it there.

"Hey!" Blair turned her head to glare at me.

"You can still get it," I told her.

She blinked her eyes questioningly before gazing up at the light, wondering what she could do. She tried stretching herself as much as possible, but it didn't help at all.

Stumped, she sat back down. Her ears lay flat on her head. Then, almost instantly, they perked up again. She stared up at the bright spot with renewed determination. Her feet moved as if to get closer to the wall, even though the two of them were already practically touching. She was fidgeting in place, readying herself.

Then she froze—and jumped.

As expected from a cat, the jump was high enough to reach the light. She brushed over it for only a split second before gravity pulled her down. Once she landed, she launched herself up the wall again. Her jump was a bit short this time, so she had to stretch out her paw in order to touch the light. She fell again and then up she went.

She repeated these actions without pause. Each time she slid down the wall, there'd be a soft scraping noise. She hopped and bounced over and over, again and again, the cycle never ending.

I felt one of the corners of my mouth twitch. Watching Blair made me feel very strange. I'd never seen her behave this way before. My head was light and fuzzy and my throat tingled. My eyes couldn't stay opened. My hands were unable to hold the mirror still anymore. It was hard to breathe. Before I knew it, I started making these funny sounds that wouldn't stop. It took me a moment to realize I was laughing.

On the one hand, it was a good thing because I hardly ever laughed and it made me smile and feel happy. On the other, sometimes I didn't like it because I couldn't breathe or control myself and it made my sides ache.

The mirror fell out of my hands, so I knew the light had gone away. Blair called out excitedly.

"Maka! Maka, quick! Look! Oh, shoot—She's not here. Where's a camera when you need one?"

I tried to say, "Don't!" but it was impossible. The image of a purple cat springing up a wall like a hyperactive pogo stick clung to my mind and refused to leave me alone.

Thankfully, Blair didn't bother looking for a camera and began to sing instead. "I made Chrona laugh~ I made Chrona laugh~ But no one's around to see it…"

I calmed down soon enough and my face felt flushed. It surprised me how exhausting laughter could be. Leaning over, I put the hand-held mirror back into the top drawer because I figured we were done playing. I thought she'd go away now, but I was dead wrong.

Blair leaped onto the bed and trotted right up to me, climbing into my lap. I flinched. She lay down, rolling herself into a ball, making herself comfortable. She looked up and met my eyes.

"Pet me!"

Reluctantly, I complied. I lowered my hand to her head, reminding myself that she wasn't going to bite. I worried that her claws would extend by accident. I worried that she'd get cat hair all over my clothes.

I scratched between her ears, then settled for stroking along her back. She closed her eyes and purred. I frowned, a little annoyed. She was probably expecting me to let her fall asleep here on my lap without any complaint.

…Well, I didn't want to be rude or anything. Maybe this was just her way of being friendly. She buried her head beneath her paws, tucking it away so that most of her face was hidden. Her fur was soft and warm. Her purring grew louder.

I kept petting, hoping that if she fell asleep, it wouldn't be for too long. I didn't want my legs to fall asleep, too.

Blair became quiet after a while and my hand moved slower. My eyelids were heavy and my vision was blurry. I could feel myself nodding off. My eyes drifted shut. My head drooped down low, chin sinking to my chest that steadily rose and fell as I breathed.

A door slammed open nearby, rattling the walls, and the sound of rampaging feet shook the floor. I jumped, looking up so fast my neck cricked and Blair woke up yowling. Another door slammed—closer this time—and my heart skipped a beat. The window jolted and then all was still and quiet.

I stared, my hands clenched into fists. Carefully, I moved my legs and stood up, inching my way toward the door. I heard a voice talking rapidly, loud and anxious. The sound of the front door closing. More footsteps. The voice growing almost desperate.

Loosening my fingers, I walked out of the room. I followed the noises and found myself heading to where the bathroom was. Its door was closed. Patty stood in front of it, talking to it in that distraught tone of voice. She was pleading with it, apologizing to it over and over again. She kept begging for its forgiveness.

Beside her, Soul also faced the door, looking concerned. The two of them were blocking it completely, so the only thing I could do was stand there and ask, "What's going on…?"

Despite her babbling, Patty somehow heard me and turned around. "Chrona!" She stepped right up to me and seized my shoulders, shaking them. "Chrona, I'm sorry! I really am! You have to believe me! If I had known something like _that _would happen, then I wouldn't have done it in the first place! Pranks are supposed to be funny, y'know? Funny as in 'ha-ha' funny. And it's April Fool's Day, y'know?"

She stopped shaking me and her eyes got shiny. "I didn't mean to hurt her, honest! It was just a practical joke, I swear!" Patty's hands slipped away from my shoulders as she closed her eyes and threw back her head.

"I DIDN'T THINK IT'D BE _THAT _STICKY!"

At those words, my jaw dropped open. I really wanted to ask just what the hell she was talking about, but I couldn't. I was speechless.

Suddenly, Soul gave the bathroom door a strong bump with his fist. "Maka, quit acting stupid and come out of there," he growled.

There was silence. Patty's feet wouldn't stay still. She watched the door, shifting her weight between them while fussing with her hands. Soul raised his fist to knock again, but there was no need.

"Soul."

"What?"

"You and Patty go back to the picnic. I'll catch up later."

"Maka, I'm sorry!" Patty shouted as if she were addressing a deaf person. "I didn't mean it! Please forgive me!"

The bathroom door didn't answer. Patty tried to reach out and touch it, but Soul told her it was probably best to leave her alone for now.

"Let's let Chrona handle this."

If I hadn't been so worried at the moment, I probably would've blushed. But if Soul thought that I should be the one to help Maka, then I couldn't let him down. He walked past me and Patty followed, mumbling about how she really hoped that Maka wasn't _too _mad. I heard Soul say that she was just being overly dramatic, but he kept his voice low, as if afraid she'd Maka-Chop him later for his comments.

I stared at the door and clutched my arm, wondering what Patty had done to her.

It wasn't until well after the front door had closed that Maka spoke.

"Chrona…?"

I moved forward, automatically placing my hand around the doorknob. I turned it, but it wouldn't give. The door was locked.

I let go and touched the space above the knob instead. I turned my head and rested it against the door so I could be as close to her as I could. "I'm here," I said.

"Could you do me a favor?" She sounded uncertain and a bit breathless.

"Of course." I really wanted to know about what happened first, but it could wait. I loved doing favors for Maka. I'd do anything she wanted. I would help her in any way I could, no matter how small.

"Will you please get Blair?"

I blinked. Why would she want to see Blair? I didn't understand, but I wasted no time in doing what she asked.

The cat was peeking out from the room I left her in, a worried look in her eyes.

"Maka wants to see you."

"Is she okay?"

I paused, biting my lip and staring at the floor. "…I don't know." But I should. Maka was very important to me, but I still didn't know how to read her sometimes. Obviously, something bad happened to her, but I didn't know just how serious it was.

A thick cloud of pink smoke engulfed Blair as she transformed back into a human and headed toward the bathroom to help Maka.

I heard the door open and close. It didn't take long for me to decide what I was going to do. I had to find out what was wrong.

I turned around and walked back. My hand reached for the doorknob again, slowly and quietly. I held on tightly and turned carefully without making a sound, but it was still locked. My mind buzzed with questions, so I sat down next to the door and tried to clear them away so I could listen to what was going on.

Their voices sounded muffled, though, so I had to strain my ears to hear them.

"Please tell me your magic can fix this."

"Well, um… I'm not sure." There was a moment of silence before Blair went on hastily. "Oh, but—I'll give it a try!"

She chanted a spell, and I saw a bright pink flash light up the crack under the door. Maka and Blair suddenly screamed in mortal terror, making me jump and accidentally bang my head against the wall.

"Put it back! Put it back!" Maka cried.

Blair chanted again and another flash went off, as if the two of them were taking pictures. "There. Sorry about that, Maka."

A pause followed, and I knew that wasn't a good sign. It made me tense up. I waited.

Then Maka sniffled.

"Oh no, don't cry! We can still fix it—We'll just have to do it the old-fashioned way, that's all."

A shadow covered some of the crack under the door. Inside, a drawer slid open and I could hear things being rummaged through. Water began to run from the sink.

I hugged my knees as items clattered about while they were picked up or set down, the water shutting off or turning up full blast, drawers and cabinets opening and closing. It sounded like Blair was doing something to Maka's hair and as she worked, neither of them spoke. The minutes dragged on.

I closed my eyes. I wanted to be in there, too, but the fact that the door was locked told me that Maka wanted to keep me out. I wasn't allowed to help. Not right now, anyway. She'd have to come out eventually.

"I made Chrona laugh today," Blair said, making my eyes open.

"Yeah, sure." Maka sounded breathless again and I could just imagine the fake smile on her face.

"No, I'm serious! And it was a _real _laugh too, not just a little one. You really missed out."

I expected Maka to ask her how she did it, but there was no reply. She only sniffed and gave a sigh that was soft and shuddery. My head buried itself deeply beneath my arms, my forehead pressing into my knees.

Then Maka spoke so quietly I almost missed it. "I bet I can make Chrona laugh too, the second I step out of here."

I wondered what she meant by that. Did she think I was going to laugh at her when I saw her? But if Blair was fixing the problem, why did she still sound so sad?

I wanted to know, but I was just going to have to wait to find out. I would not move from this spot until I talked with Maka face to face.

I really wanted to talk with her, so it felt like hours had passed before the door finally opened. I looked up and saw Blair, who was carrying a plastic bag full of trash. She greeted me with a smile as she walked past me, so that was a good sign. She had helped Maka out just fine.

I turned my head toward the door only to watch it close again. I stood up and faced it, gripping one arm tightly.

"Maka?" I tried.

Silence. I took in my breath, held it, and let it out again. I thought about things I should say to try to persuade her to stop hiding.

Suddenly the door flew open, slamming against the wall, and I nearly leaped out of my skin.

"Go ahead. Laugh."

I trembled, trying to get my heart to calm down as quickly as possible. I collected myself together and focused on the person in front of me.

…There was nothing wrong with her. She looked like regular Maka to me. The only thing different about her was that her hair wasn't in pigtails anymore.

I looked closer. Her arms lay stiffly at her sides, hands rolled into fists. Her head was slightly lowered, eyes scrunched up tight. Dried up tear streaks stained her face. It made me want to step close to her and hug her, but then I noticed something.

At first, I just assumed the lack of pigtails meant her hair was down. And it was, but then I realized… a lot of it was missing.

The bangs were still there. It was all definitely her real hair. It had the same color and texture, but the style was different. The ends were spiky. And it looked like it was still wet, so it wasn't as fluffy and silky as usual.

Maka's hair was short. Just as short as mine. Maybe even shorter.

Then I remembered Patty talking about something being too sticky. I thought I had it all figured out now. The joke Patty had played on Maka ended up going too far when the sticky stuff got everywhere in her hair. It was probably trick bubblegum or something. Maka was so upset she raced home and locked herself in the bathroom. In the end, Blair had to cut her hair to get all the gum out.

Maka's face started to turn pink and her fists began to quiver.

I went to her and wrapped my arms around her, pressing one side of my face to hers. She didn't protest but she didn't return the gesture either. Her breathing was ragged. I held her as close as I could. Her arms fell steady.

"You're… okay with this?" She sounded almost incredulous.

"Of course," I answered.

"But… I look so different now."

"You're still Maka, no matter what," I told her. My hands found their way toward her shoulders. They held onto them lightly as I pulled my head back.

Liquid green eyes stared up at me, wide and round. Her mouth was frowning a little, but she looked more contemplative than sad.

I really wanted her to believe me. I wanted her to understand that I really didn't mind that her hair was short now. So I moved my hands again. This time they gently cupped her face, fingers sliding into her hair. She didn't move.

The strands weren't long anymore, but I still liked them. I liked the way they felt on my fingers. Damp and feathery, like a bird caught in the rain.

"P-Pretty." My face grew warm as I gave Maka a tiny smile. I stroked her hair, but her facial expression didn't change.

"Would I still be pretty if I was bald?"

My hands stopped in their tracks. I blinked at her, completely taken aback.

"Blair was supposed to use magic to fix my hair. All she had to do was clear the gum out. But she messed up and got rid of all the gum _and _my hair." Her eyes wavered, face turning deathly pale. "I was so scared… For a second I thought I was going to be stuck like that forever. She undid the spell, but what if she couldn't? What would've happened then? Chrona… What would you think of me?"

Her eyes were glossy now and she shivered. I closed my eyes and leaned forward so that our foreheads touched. Her soft, delicate bangs met my own. Every breath she took shuddered, but they all felt warm.

"You'll always be pretty to me, Maka. No matter what." My hands turned rigid because this next part was a little hard to say, but the darkness helped me concentrate. I needed to just feel her right now, without seeing her. "And b-besides… I… I like you m-more for who you are than w-what you look like…"

I swallowed, hoping I had said the right thing. She'd always told me that the best way to choose my words was by being as honest as possible. It made things easier.

As her breathing relaxed, my hands loosened. I lowered my arms at the same moment Maka finally lifted hers. I hugged her waist, expecting her to do the same to me, but they rose past it, her hands sliding up my back and toward my head. She moved her forehead away from mine, brushing my bangs aside so she could rest her lips there.

Then she pressed.

Something inside my chest swelled, making me feel lighter than air. My knees felt weak and wobbly.

She pulled back slowly. I opened my eyes. Her smile lit up her face and I was glad that I managed to help her after all.

The two of us stood there holding each other comfortably until we heard Blair clearing her throat impatiently. She asked if it would be alright for us to go with Maka to the picnic.

I let go of Maka and she agreed to Blair's request, but then she nervously began patting her hair. She wanted to tell Patty she wasn't mad at her, but this was a change that would take some getting used to. I told her not to worry about it too much.

"I'm sure it'll grow back before you know it."

She took my hand and squeezed it. Our fingers wove together as we left home and went to join the others. Blair seemed the most excited to be outside.

The sun made Maka's hair dry in no time. In this light, it was easy to notice how… _healthy _her new hairstyle looked. I liked the way it gleamed. I liked how perfectly it settled on her head, outlining her face. If I could get used to it this quickly, then surely Maka could too.


	7. Theme of Tonight

"What do you think they're talking about over there?" Black*Star asked, craning his head to look over his shoulder.

I was sitting across from him, so it was easy for me to see what he meant. All I had to do was look up from my plate and there they were, standing near the end of the aisle of tables. Kim, Jacqueline, Liz, Patty, Tsubaki, and Maka were all grouped together having a serious discussion. With the exception of Patty, everyone had a dark, troubled look on her face. I couldn't hear what they were saying.

Soul, who was sitting next to Black*Star, continued to face forward. He shrugged his shoulders as if to say, "Just let them be."

I knew it was none of my business, but I strained my ears anyway. I wanted to know what they were talking about, too. Maka looked concerned, so I wanted to find out why.

"I think they're talking about you, Chrona," Kid said next to me, not bothering to lift his head. He was too busy focusing on arranging his lunch as neatly and symmetrically as possible.

I raised an eyebrow at him, wondering what made him say that.

Similarly, Black*Star tore his eyes away from the girls to stare at Kid suspiciously. "What makes you think that?"

"See for yourself."

At that moment, the group was making its way toward our table. Their faces didn't seem so troubled anymore, but there was still an air of uneasiness about them.

I didn't know how to deal with a bunch of girls talking about me. I braced myself as they got closer. They were going to put me on the spot, I just knew it.

As they stopped in front of me, I silently hoped that I wasn't in trouble. The way they stood, all grouped together and looking at me, made me think they were a jury about to announce that I'd been found guilty of a crime.

My eyes widened when Liz cleared her throat. She was standing front and center, tall and in command. She opened her mouth… and turned to Maka.

"Alright. Go ahead and ask."

Maka stared back at her in astonishment. "I thought you would."

Liz raised her hand to hide her mouth. She lowered her voice, but I could still hear it. "I changed my mind."

And without further ado, she gave Maka's back a gentle push forward. Her eyes met mine for a moment before they quickly broke away.

All the while, my hands twisted in my lap. I felt like I really _had _done something wrong. Liz couldn't handle asking me a question and got Maka to take her place. It was as if _I _was the one making things difficult for her. For all of them.

I didn't know how I could make anyone nervous (usually it was the other way around) but I did understand why Maka was selected to take charge. The moment she stepped right in front of me, she bent down a little and placed her hands over mine. Almost immediately I felt them stop twisting around. They lay still beneath her fingers, warm and relaxed.

I looked up and saw nothing but green. For a second, it was as if she and I were the only ones there. Even though her smile seemed a bit forced, I felt like I could deal with whatever question she was about to ask me.

"Chrona." Maka's voice faltered, but I barely noticed. She paused, blinking down at our hands. Then she looked me in the eye again.

"Would you like to come to our slumber party?"

I heard a few of the girls draw in their breath.

A hush seemed to fall over the entire cafeteria. No one breathed.

Then Black*Star snorted. "Slumber party? But that's for g—"

Soul slammed one hand on top of Black*Star's head and the other under his chin, effectively clamping his jaw shut.

Maka glanced at them for a second, then focused on me again. Her hands fastened more snugly around mine.

"We were just thinking… Since you've never been to a sleepover before, you could come to ours. If you want."

Her eyes were bright and hopeful, her smile warm and inviting. Everyone watched us, waiting, but I found it difficult to concentrate on anyone except Maka. I stared back at her face, fighting the urge to blink. I felt so calm that I didn't even need to think about how to answer.

"Okay."

The reactions of the girls were mixed. Maka seemed relieved, Patty's smile grew wider than usual, and Tsubaki's eyes gleamed. Liz smiled too, but it was small and strained. Jacqueline also looked a bit nervous and Kim narrowed her eyes suspiciously, frowning.

Black*Star twisted out of Soul's grasp. He didn't say anything, but he looked at me strangely, as though he were trying to see right through me.

* * *

><p>-xoxo-<p>

* * *

><p>I packed only the essentials: my pajamas, a few blankets, a pillow, a toothbrush. When I arrived at the mansion where Kid, Liz, and Patty lived, I noticed for the first time just what kind of party a slumber party was. It was the kind that only allowed people who'd been invited. I wondered aloud why Kid, Soul, and Black*Star weren't invited. Weren't they our friends, too?<p>

"They are," Maka reassured me. "But this is just for us. It's just going to be us this time."

"That's right," Liz chimed in, using the toothiest, fakest smile I'd ever seen. "We've got the whole place to ourselves tonight."

And yet no one seemed very excited. I kept getting uneasy glances and whenever someone spoke to me directly, her voice often sounded a little squeaky. I was starting to think it might've been a bad idea for me to have come here.

After giving all of us a quick tour, Liz said we were free to make ourselves at home. We could go into any room we wanted and even make a mess if we felt like it, as long as we agreed to help fix everything up in the morning.

With the afternoon waning, the seven of us gathered in a large room that had all the furniture pushed back against the walls. The floor was soft and there was more than enough room for all of us to sit in a big circle. As soon as I settled down in my own spot, I felt a ripple inside my body.

I froze, which was a stupid thing to do. Instead of wasting that moment hesitating, I should've braced myself or warned the others or done _something_. This was my first sleepover and now Ragnarok was about to ruin it for me.

Suddenly my face met the floor, and I couldn't see. I tried lifting my head, but Ragnarok's balled up little fist wouldn't let me.

"Really, Chrona? _Really_?" he said as a couple of gasps rang out around me. "I didn't think you'd be into something as girly as _this_. So what are we gonna do first? Have a pillow fight? Gossip? Compare the size of our tits?"

"Maka… _Chop_!"

There was a loud whamming sound. I thought Ragnarok's fist would loosen, but it only pressed down on me more. Then I heard Maka's voice.

"Ladies?"

There was a scuffling of feet and the sound of Patty giggling insanely.

"Grab him!"

They all gathered around me. The weight on my head was taken away. Carefully, I peered up to see what was happening.

Kim and Patty were on either side of me, holding on to Ragnarok's arms. Patty was still giggling madly.

The others were armed with cosmetics. Eyeliners, lipsticks, powder puffs, and bottles of perfume lay clutched in their hands like weapons.

Ragnarok recovered from his book-induced injury and eyed the small objects warily.

"We were thinking of starting off with a makeover, actually," Liz said, pointing a blood-red lipstick at him like it was a pocketknife. "Since you're so eager, we'll start with you."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

Ragnarok stared at her with no apparent emotion on his face. She narrowed her eyes, holding the lipstick firm and steady.

Everyone waited. The room was still. Patty had stopped giggling, but the corners of her mouth twitched every now and then.

Suddenly, a loud ringing caused us all to turn our heads. It sounded like it was coming from the front door, and I quickly realized that it was the doorbell.

"Oh!" said Liz, getting to her feet. "That's probably the food."

The tension that once filled the room evaporated at the mention of food. Arms lowered. Scowls were replaced by eager smiles.

"I'll help you carry it in," Tsubaki offered, also rising.

Everyone calmed down knowing their dinner had arrived at the door. All the makeup was stashed away and Ragnarok was released. I pulled myself up from the floor.

We'd all agreed earlier on having Chinese takeout. We got back in a circle, unable to sit still until the aroma of noodles and fried rice filled our noses.

I handed Ragnarok his chopsticks, but he pushed them away, saying he didn't need them. I had a feeling he was lying—he probably didn't know how to use them. Or couldn't.

Soon Kim suggested we all break open our fortune cookies. I'd heard of these before, but never tried it. I wondered what my very first Chinese fortune cookie would say.

As plastic wrappers crinkled and cookies cracked open around me, I held my own in both hands, cupping it between my palms. What if it contained something bad?

I glanced at Maka sitting beside me. She broke her cookie in half and took out the paper curled inside it, keeping it clutched in her fist while she slid the cookie in her mouth.

The others were reading their fortunes with smiles on their faces. If everyone else had gotten good fortunes, then maybe I would, too.

With that thought in mind, I ripped the plastic away and broke the cookie. A chunk of white poked out and I plucked it.

The fortune unfurled before my eyes. I looked at it for a few seconds, then flipped it over, then back again. Surely this was some kind of mistake.

"What's wrong, Chrona?" Tsubaki asked, her voice gentle. She sat on my other side, holding her fortune close to her chest. "Did you get a bad fortune?"

I turned my head toward her, unsure of what to say. She looked down at the slip of paper in my hands and asked what was on it.

"Nothing," I answered.

She frowned, her shoulders sagging. "Oh… If you don't want to tell me, that's okay…"

I opened my mouth, but Ragnarok seized the paper from me and held it in front of his face. He scrutinized it for a few moments. "Oh," he said. "You weren't kidding."

By now the others had noticed and were intrigued too. "What's wrong?"

And Ragnarok showed them. He held it out for everyone to see. The slip of paper was blank on both sides. My first fortune was nothing but a plain white rectangle.

Kim spoke up. "So what does that mean? Chrona has no future?"

"No," Maka snapped, throwing her a stern look. "It means they made a mistake."

There was silence. The girls glanced down at their own fortunes, their faces darkening. Even Patty seemed a little upset for a moment. Then she brightened up and looked at me.

"Here, Chrona! You can have mine. It says, 'Your smile brings joy to everyone around you. Always remember to keep your chin up.'"

"I don't think that'll work, Patty." Liz twisted a strand of hair between her fingers. "You're the one who broke open the cookie, so the fortune is yours."

"But there's no harm in sharing, right? If I give it away, then at least some of it should rub off on Chrona, don't you think?"

Liz shrugged, giving her sister an amused smile.

Patty left her place in the circle to give me her fortune. She held it out for me, waiting for me to take it. I felt like I was cheating her somehow, but the energetic look on her face told me I couldn't refuse the gift.

The only thing I could think to say was, "Thank you." As soon as I did, Ragnarok bopped my head, so I corrected myself. "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome," she said. Then her grin faded. "Don't expect the cookie's magic to work all by itself, though, Chrona. You have to help it along." Her eyes turned steely as she looked at me seriously.

I stared back at her. Her eyebrows scrunched down together as her mouth formed a tight, straight line. She didn't move, as if she were stuck that way.

It was funny to see her like this. I smiled.

"Good, good, like that!" she cheered, clapping her hands. The others laughed.

Jacqueline, who had been pretty quiet since the sleepover started, spoke up suddenly. "Chrona, you can have mine too. Please take it."

"O-Okay."

As she moved to give it to me, she said, "Mine says, 'Loyalty is one of your greatest qualities. You will soon be rewarded for your efforts.'"

I accepted it from her, feeling my stomach tighten. Before it seemed I wouldn't have any fortune at all, and now I had two.

Jacqueline settled in her own spot again and looked at Kim, who stuck her lips out and pouted. But to my surprise, she leaned toward me and handed over her fortune, too.

"'Although you are destined to succeed in all the goals you've set for yourself,'" she recited, "'don't forget to stop now and then to enjoy the simpler things.'"

No sooner had she sat back down than Tsubaki cleared her throat and read hers, as if she'd been waiting for her turn. "'Kindness, patience, and honesty come naturally to you. Speak your mind and others are sure to listen.'"

Liz went next. "Mine's pretty simple, so I think you'll like it, Chrona. 'The more you give, the more you'll receive.'"

That made five. Five fortunes in all, one each from five of my friends.

Everyone looked at Maka.

Her brow was furrowed. She was examining her fortune intensely. She read it while holding it with both hands. When she noticed us staring at her, she flushed brightly. Then she looked at me, holding the little paper close to her.

I tried to tell her she didn't have to give me her fortune if she didn't want to, but I wasn't quick enough. She opened her mouth before I could, and her words came out strong and firm.

"Here, Chrona. I want you to have this. You deserve it more than I do."

Her hands were balled into fists and she was still holding the paper close to her. I made a bowl with my hands as I held them out to her. She placed the fortune inside, her hands forming a lid over mine. She leaned in close to my ear, hiding her face from the others.

"Look at it later," she whispered.

"Hey, what gives?" Ragnarok came between us, trying to grab the paper. "What's it say?"

A few of the others wanted to know too, but Maka told them it was none of their business. I covered the paper up and kept it safe from wandering eyes, even my own.

Maka was accused of being unfair, seeing as how everyone else read their fortunes out loud. Then they started teasing her, saying that it _must _have been a fortune about _love_.

She denied it, quite vehemently, while my face glowed like a nightlight. There was a lot of giggling then.

And within seconds, out of nowhere, the giggling erupted into gossip. They began talking excitedly about who they thought was "cute" or "hot" at the academy. They asked each other about crushes. Then everyone turned to Kim and asked how her relationship with Ox was going.

"Have you guys kissed yet?"

"Shut up! As if I'd tell you something like that!"

"That does it. I can't take this anymore," Ragnarok murmured as I clutched my arm tightly. I felt him retreat back into my body just as my forehead began to moisten with sweat. I felt like pulling my knees up to my chest and hugging them—I wanted to hide my face in them.

They kept talking in that playful, teasing way and every sentence ended in a fit of giggles. I stared down at the floor, waiting for them to grow tired and find something new to talk about.

But it only got worse. Kim reminisced about a time when Ox did something nice for her soon after they got together.

"It was _that_ time again, and I had the worst cramps ever—I couldn't even stand straight."

"Ugh, I hate those."

"Me too!"

"Mine are never that bad, actually."

"Really? Lucky you."

"_Anyway_… Since I couldn't move around that much, Ox ran errands for me. He did whatever I wanted until I felt better."

"How nice of him to help you at a time like that."

"I can't believe we have to go through it for so many years."

"Hey, do you guys use pads or tampons?"

By now my head was dipped so low it was almost level with my shoulders. It helped that I couldn't see anyone, but their voices made my ears burn. I tried to drown them out by pretending I was far away, doing something else.

Maka raised her voice. "Everyone, stop. Let's talk about something else."

They fell silent, and I knew they were all looking at me. I kept my eyes cast down, focusing on a tiny crumb on the floor.

The voices slowly returned, low and cautious, like they were inside a public library. I felt Maka place a hand on my shoulder. I wished she would take it away.

The air was hot and stuffy and it felt like I was trapped inside a small box. Like Ragnarok, I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up and left the room. No one tried to stop me, for which I was grateful.

I needed some fresh air so I went outside. Not to the front yard, but the back.

As expected, the backyard was trim and orderly and massive. The lawn was cut so precisely that I didn't think a single blade of grass was taller or shorter than the rest.

A bench stood on either side of the patio, facing the whole backyard and I took a seat at one. I looked at the sky and wondered how long it'd be before the stars came out. I leaned back on the bench and closed my eyes. It was nice and quiet out here and I soon forgot about giggles and talks of blood cycles.

It got darker. A light hanging up on the wall behind me turned on by itself, marking the start of evening.

The peace of the outdoors worked wonders for me, so I went back inside.

Their voices reached me as I neared the room. They seemed to be arguing. When I heard their words, I stopped.

"Maybe we should just ask directly."

I stood near the door, listening. Were they talking about me?

"No way. That'd be too rude."

"That has nothing to do with it, anyway," Maka insisted. "We just need to watch what we say from now on."

"But I came here to have _fun_, Maka, not to watch my mouth." This voice belonged to Kim, who sighed heavily. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired of having to be careful around Chrona all the time. Maybe we shouldn't have invited anyone else after all."

There was a pause then. Nobody spoke up to agree or disagree with Kim.

I stayed where I was, waiting, afraid that someone would start to say something the moment I chose to walk in. I wanted to take a peek inside, but I stopped myself. Instead I closed my eyes and counted. I counted for a whole minute, then opened my eyes and took a deep, silent breath.

I stepped through the doorway, eyes on the floor and hand on my wrist. Maka stood up from the circle and reached out to touch my arm. She asked me where I went and I told her the truth. I nodded when she asked if I was feeling better. Her hand gave my arm a gentle squeeze, and I didn't mind it.

She and the others had dressed into their pajamas. I was the only one in regular clothes still. Maka must've been able to tell what I was thinking, because she let go of my arm and moved aside for me.

I hadn't noticed it before, but after I went away to change and came back, I realized that everyone was barefoot. They each had a bottle of nail polish and were painting their nails. Patty used rainbow-colored polish on her fingernails while her sister helped out by doing her toenails. The room smelled of polish, its oily scent wafting through the air.

"Chrona?" Maka asked. "Will you help me?"

I bit down on my tongue, lightly, to stop myself from answering right away. I wanted to help her, but I wondered what the others would think of me.

I looked at them. Everyone seemed busy, and that made it easy for me to make a choice.

I sat next to her and she handed me a bottle of pink nail polish, pushing her feet closer to me.

Having never done something like this before, I paused. I glanced at the others again and noticed that Kim had cotton balls in between her toes as she worked.

It didn't look too hard, I thought.

Kim used the skinny little brush just like a real paintbrush. One by one, she gave each of her toenails a couple of long, smooth strokes. She also leaned forward and blew on them every now and then.

The others were doing the same thing, only they didn't have cotton balls. Kim seemed to have a few extras, so I was in luck.

I clasped the bottle snugly in my palm. Maka smiled at me. It was that same smile she wore whenever I decided to try something I'd never tried before.

I didn't want to let her down by messing up. I wanted to do this right.

The bottle felt warm in my hand as I forced myself to half crawl, half drag myself to the other end of our circle to reach Kim. My head felt like it weighed a ton, but I managed to pick it up in order to look at her.

She looked back, annoyed at having been interrupted. "What?"

I cringed, remembering what I overheard her say earlier. My fingers shook as I touched the spare cotton balls lying on the floor. "C-Can I use these?"

She lowered her eyes, then raised them back at me. She peered over at Maka.

I felt my fingers tighten. They were kind of squishing the cotton balls, but I didn't care. I needed these. I was not leaving without them.

Kim studied my face and I stared back. Finally, she told me I could have them.

Gathering them up, I gave her a quick thanks and scuttled back to Maka. She'd started painting her fingernails with a separate bottle of pink nail polish. She'd also rolled the pants of her pajamas up toward her knees.

I sat in front of her and looked at her face. Her eyes were glued to her hand. She gently blew on her nails every so often. She gave them smooth, delicate strokes. Like Kim and the others, she concentrated on her task very carefully, as if she were painting a masterpiece. I had to be careful, too.

Taking the cotton balls one by one, I nudged them in between all of Maka's toes. She smiled as if she was going to laugh. I hoped I wasn't distracting her.

The fumes from the pink nail polish swatted me as I untwisted the cap. I tried to copy what everyone else was doing, but it was much harder than I expected. They made it look so easy! No matter how slowly I guided the brush, bits of paint would flake all around her toe. My hand could never hold the brush still enough. Some nails drowned in pink polish. They looked like clotted pink lumps, not smooth at all.

I messed up, and so I looked around to see if anyone had any nail polish remover I could borrow. They didn't. I was stuck with my mistakes.

Then I realized that I'd forgotten something important. I was so focused on painting her nails that I forgot to blow on them.

It might've already been too late for that, but I lowered my head anyway. I wasn't thinking. I let myself get close to her toes and stopped. A wave of heat flooded my face.

I pulled back, almost gasping aloud at what I'd almost done.

"Are you finished?"

Maka's voice snapped me out of it. She'd just finished painting all her fingernails. Now she was examining her feet, looking at the sloppy work I made of them.

I wanted to tell her I was sorry, but then I noticed the way she was smiling. It was as if she were impressed, as if she honestly liked what she saw.

Her fingernails were shiny and smooth while her toenails were bumpy and flaky. I didn't get why this didn't seem to bother her at all.

Maka plucked out all the cotton balls and wiggled her toes. She looked at me and asked, "Can I do yours, Chrona?"

My face grew hot again. I stared at her for a few moments, wondering if she was being serious. Her eyes glinted. Looking at them somehow put all the troubles out of my head. The burning heat on my face fell away as easily as water slipping through a person's fingers.

I nodded. It was hard to say no to Maka when she made things like this seem so… normal.

She found a couple of bottles of black nail polish. I rolled up the pants of my pajamas just a little past my ankles. As she handed me one of the bottles, I thought maybe I could do a better job on my own nails.

I was almost right. Painting my fingernails was much easier, but my hand still had trouble staying still. Flecks of black paint surrounded my fingertips. It was like relearning how to color inside the lines of a coloring book.

This time I remembered to blow on them.

And so did Maka. As she guided the brush along, she'd lean in every once in a while to gently blow her warm, dry breath over the wet paint. It tickled. Somehow she managed to tickle me without touching me.

I couldn't help but be distracted. Again and again I caught myself staring at what she was doing. It was no wonder she finished before I did.

When we were done, we looked at our own nails and at each other's. They were a strange but cute kind of mismatch. Maka slid her feet close to mine until they touched. Smooth, glossy black toes met flaky, lumpy pink ones. She held up her hands in front of her, and I mirrored her. Messy, bumpy black fingertips met sleek, perfect pink ones.

* * *

><p>-xoxo-<p>

* * *

><p>I'd never slept in a room full of girls before. When everyone began taking out blankets and pillows and sleeping bags, I was tempted to leave and find another place to sleep.<p>

But I stayed. I lay still and closed my eyes, but I couldn't get comfortable. I let my thoughts drift toward something boring, something that would lull me into nothingness.

Counting sheep. That's what some people did to help them fall asleep, right?

I pictured a group of sheep grazing in a field. There were one, two, three… six of them. Six white sheep moving lazily about, stopping every now and then to snack on the grass at their feet. Their short, painted feet.

I saw another sheep among them, only its wool was black. Six white sheep, and one black sheep.

_That's seven in all_, I thought. _Seven's a lucky number._

_Lucky…_

I sat up suddenly, so suddenly it made my head spin. The room was dark and full of the sound of gentle breathing. I waited impatiently for my eyes to adjust before looking around.

It only took a few moments for me to find what I wanted. I held the fortune that Maka gave me and stood up. Now seemed like as good a time as any to read it. All I had to do was go out and find some light.

But as I turned toward the door, I noticed a pillow that didn't have a head resting on it. Maka wasn't here anymore.

Clutching the paper in my fist, I tiptoed out the door. I'd gone from one dark place to another. I stood there hesitating, wondering where she went.

The manor looked so different now. Everything was bathed in a blue hue, as if all of it was submerged underwater. It was quiet, too. I loosened my hand a little so as not to get the paper wet with any sweat.

I stepped forward. The first place I thought of checking was the kitchen. Maybe Maka was getting a late midnight snack or a glass of water.

A faint glow of light soon came into view, but not from the kitchen. As I got closer to it, I realized that the light wasn't coming from inside the house, but outside, in the backyard. And through the window, I could just make out Maka sitting on the same bench I'd sat in before.

I felt the corners of my mouth pull down. My body propelled itself forward, my arm stretching out for the door's handle—Instantly I was on the other side, and in my rush I nearly fell flat on my face.

Maka's head whirled around.

I straightened up. "Maka—" I started, but she put her finger to her lips, reminding me to keep my voice down.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

I stared at her incredulously. "That's what _I _want to know. What are you doing out here in the cold?"

"It's not cold."

I wanted to protest, but then I paused. I stood on the spot and waited for the air to make me shiver, but it didn't. It was warm, despite how late it was. The air was a big, cozy blanket surrounding me.

The night was quiet except for a few insects buzzing near the outdoor light hanging on the wall. Maka blinked at me.

My shoulders slackened and I suddenly felt incredibly foolish. "…Oh."

Her laugh was as soft and light as a feather fluttering in the breeze. She moved to the end of the bench and patted the space beside her. "Sit with me."

I stepped forward, noting the warmth of the ground on my bare feet. She watched me as I sat beside her. Then she looked straight ahead, at the vastness of the backyard. All the bushes and statues were now nothing but black shapes in the darkness.

I glanced up at the sky, disappointed at its emptiness. I could only see one star. It was tiny and not very bright.

"I couldn't sleep," Maka admitted. She leaned back on the bench and raised her head toward the sky. Her eyes lingered on the single star.

We stared at it in a long silence.

I was about to lean back myself when Maka said, "I'm sorry."

I looked at her. She continued to stare at the sky. Her face was so still that I almost thought she hadn't said anything. But then she took a slow, deep breath and rested her eyes on mine.

"I'm sorry if you didn't have any fun tonight. Maybe this was a mistake."

Maka's voice was so strong and steady, yet it looked like she was about to cry.

I bit my lip. It was times like these that I almost wished I wasn't Maka's friend. It hurt to know that I made her worry so much, even to the point that she couldn't sleep.

I swallowed and tried to make my voice firm, so she'd know I wasn't saying this just to get her to stop worrying. "I'm glad I came here, really. It wasn't a mistake or a waste of time."

With my empty hand, I found one of her own. It was resting in her lap and as soon as I touched it, Maka's brightly painted fingers laced with mine. Our hands felt warmer than the night air around us.

I looked down at our fingernails. "It wasn't so bad… for my first sleepover. I liked it when we painted our nails… And I liked it when everyone gave me their fortunes…"

Maka's hand twitched. I raised my head and saw the color spread across her face. "Did you read mine yet?"

I shook my head. My fingers loosened and slipped out of her grasp. I held the fortune tightly in both hands in front of me, keeping my eyes on hers.

Maka nodded, giving me permission to read it.

I uncovered it and, under the yellow light, read the words printed on it at last.

_The one you love will return your feelings._

My mouth dropped. I read it over again to make sure I was reading it right.

"Maka…" I could feel myself begin to tremble. "I can't take this."

I pushed the fortune closer to her, but she placed her hands around my wrists.

"It's okay. I want you to have it."

"But—This—It's too—"

I stopped and squeezed my eyes shut. I waited for the trembling to disappear. My face grew really hot because I was flustered, and I didn't like being flustered and tongue-tied around Maka.

She didn't seem to mind, though. Her thumbs gently rubbed my wrists as she waited for me to clear my thoughts.

It really helped. Her fingers were like a special remedy for fluster attacks. I focused on how they felt as they kneaded my wrists. Over and over they went, rubbing.

They slowed down and stopped when I opened my eyes. I was ready to say what I wanted to say.

"I can't take something like this away from you. If—If anyone deserves this kind of fortune, it's you."

"You're not taking it away from me. I'm giving it to you." Her hands slid away from my wrists and covered my fingers. She pressed on them, pushing the slip of paper back toward me.

I didn't try to give it back to her, but I still felt bad about accepting such an important gift.

But then I thought about it. Maybe Maka didn't need to have this fortune after all. If there was someone she loved, then surely she'd be able to win them over all by herself. She wouldn't need any good luck to help her. She was smart and pretty and nice, so why would anyone not return her feelings?

I sighed and gave her a little nod as thanks.

Maka gazed up at the sky again. The star seemed just a tiny bit brighter now.

We watched it together for a long time, not saying a word. Something warm and heavy settled on my shoulder and I felt Maka's hair brush against my neck.

I almost panicked because I thought she'd fallen asleep on me. Then I heard her voice.

"I really hope it comes true for you someday."

I didn't know what to say, so I kept quiet. The pit of my stomach suddenly felt hollow and empty.

I tilted my head so it could rest on top of hers.

The insects' buzzing and humming almost sounded like a lullaby, but I was wide awake. I sat with Maka out under the sky's only starlight until she was ready to go back inside.


	8. Theme of Circle

It was one of those rare times where I was actually _excited _to do something completely new. New things were usually scary, but I knew this time would be different.

Today would be different because we were all going to the beach.

I'd never actually been to one before. I'd passed by a few in the past, but they never counted. A beach lay deep within my soul, but it didn't count either. Today would be my first real visit.

The only thing I was worried about was crowds, but the beach was practically empty. The sand burned my feet at first when I took off my sandals, but I slowly got used to it. It went from hot to toasty warm the longer I kept my feet in it.

It was the same way with the ocean, which went from freezing cold to nice and cool the longer I stayed in it.

The sun towered high above the beach when I decided to get out of the water. It was almost time to eat and I wanted to be dry and ready. I left the others behind, daydreaming about what kind of sandwiches were waiting inside the picnic basket.

I went to where our huge blanket lay, and there I dried off and sat with my knees drawn up and waited.

Not far off, Kid, Liz, and Patty were building an impressive-looking sandcastle. It had a moat around it, though I was sure the tide would never reach all the way here. Then I noticed the buckets of water around them and how they were starting to use them to fill up the moat. As I watched them, I heard someone call my name. "Hey, Chrona."

I turned my head to see Maka walking toward me, squeezing saltwater out of one of her pigtails. She stopped at the edge of the blanket and squeezed the other pigtail. Water dripped onto the sand.

She wore a powder-blue bikini that made me want to stare at the ground every time I saw it, but instead I wrapped my arms a little tighter around my knees and stared hard at her face.

She found a towel, picked it up, and began rubbing it over her arms. She looked at me, smiling. "I said, 'Hey, Chrona.'"

I flushed and felt a strong urge to cover my face with both hands. But I resisted and instead said to her, "Hi… Maka."

A little laugh slipped from her mouth as she swept the towel around one of her legs. "I wanted to show you something. Can you come with me for a minute?"

My arms loosened. I nodded, but then caught myself and stopped abruptly. I opened my mouth and said, "Yeah, sure."

The towel bent and wound around her other leg. Then she set it down and grabbed her sandals. I found my own, put them on, and headed off with her, curious to know what she was planning.

We walked side by side, away from the ocean, getting closer to the heart of the beach. There was nothing but sand all around us. The sound of the waves lapping at the shore grew faint.

"This place looks familiar, doesn't it?" Maka asked, her voice gentle and nostalgic.

"Yes," I said, a little sadly. I was thinking about the day she asked me to be her friend. Before she did, I had a beach of my own, only it was all dried up. There was only sand as far as the eye could see. It was an empty, lonely place until she came along.

Thinking about that day made me want to hold her hand. I glanced down and reached out to take it, but as soon as I tried, she suddenly stopped walking.

I wrapped my hand around my elbow instead.

This part of the beach didn't seem to have anything special, since all I could see was sand, some rocks, some driftwood, and out in the distance a seagull was preparing itself for takeoff. I wondered what she wanted to show me here.

Turning so that we were face to face, she clasped her hands together in front of her and said, "Okay, now… Close your eyes."

I rubbed my arm, feeling a bit nervous. I waited for a few seconds, my eyes finding reassurance in hers. Then I closed them.

I heard Maka move away from me, and my eyelids shook because I almost thought she was ditching me here. I concentrated hard, listening to her footsteps as they became more distant, but never faded completely. Then they were joined by a soft scratching sound.

I tried to ignore the heat as I waited, focusing instead on relaxing the stiffness in each shoulder and working my way down. I listened to the long, continuous scratching sound and wondered if Maka was doing what I thought she was doing. That sound was a little too familiar, and considering where we were, it was a lot like déjà vu. By the time the sound stopped, it still felt like the sun would make me melt, but at least I wasn't feeling so rigid anymore.

Maka approached, her footsteps drawing closer and stopping in front of me. "Okay, you can open them now."

I had to do it slowly, because if I took in the sight of that blue bikini too fast, I'd get tense all over again.

She stood with her arms crossed, looking proud of herself.

I looked out around us, at the sand, confirming my suspicions about what she'd done.

"You drew a circle," I said, turning my head, trying to see it all at once. We were standing right in the center of it, and I saw that it had to have been at least five times as big as the one I'd made myself so long ago.

Maka nodded, and her face clouded over. "You remember, don't you? Last time I erased the circle for you. But now I want you to do it yourself."

I looked at it again, wondering why she'd made it so big. It was a little unfair, so I decided to ask her about it out loud.

"So it'll give you more work, of course." Her face cracked into a grin.

_All right then_, I thought, shrugging a little. _I'll play along._

But when I approached the circle's edge, I hesitated. Suddenly I really felt like I was back inside my own beach, in my own circle. I stared down, half-expecting to see my shadow staring back at me.

No shadow. Only sand. And the line. I lifted my foot and watched it hang in midair. It stayed just inches above the line, dangling. I couldn't bring myself to drop it. I moved it back instead, letting it rest beside the other foot again.

I knew Maka's eyes were watching me closely. She stood right behind me. I told myself I could do it but even with her there, it didn't help.

I turned hopelessly toward her. "This is hard," I confessed.

Her eyes softened. "Do you want some help?" she asked, unfolding her arms and offering her hand.

I was shocked at how quickly my own hand shot out to meet hers, as if thirsty for her touch, as if it had a mind of its own. It latched onto her hand like a leech and I was too stunned to even panic.

Maka blinked in surprise, but when she saw the look on my face, she must've figured that I hadn't meant to move so fast. She gave me a friendly smile and used her other hand to touch my shoulder. Instead of flinching, I felt my hold on her loosen. My breath didn't quicken at all, but remained calm and steady like normal.

Her fingers lingered on my shoulder for several moments before she withdrew them. She moved to stand beside me as I tried again. My foot floated above the line then, slowly, I set it down.

Although it was touching the ground now, I couldn't bring myself to move it. Hoping it'd do the job on its own didn't do much good, either. Maka gripped my hand a little tighter and looked at me. As I looked back at her, I remembered how easily she'd done it before, like there was nothing to it. If the suddenness of her messing with my circle without permission hadn't startled me back then, then the speed she used to erase _all _of it did. One minute it was there, the next it was gone, leaving me stranded.

At least, that's how it used to feel, but I wasn't stranded anymore. I was free to do what I liked, with no lines holding me back.

In that instant, I noticed my foot sliding back and forth across the sand. My mouth stretched into a smile because it wasn't too often I got to experience being in Maka's shoes—or sandals—if only for a while.

I looked down at the small hole I'd made in the circle. I took a step forward, sweeping my foot along. Maka followed next to me, staying right by my side and keeping her hand in mine.

The more we walked, the easier it got—and it was even kind of fun. It didn't feel like I was erasing my lifeline as I might've thought a long time ago, but instead I understood that I was getting rid of something I didn't need.

I began to kick at the line the way Maka had done so long ago, but sand got in between my toes so I stopped. I settled for wiping it away in smooth strokes, some short, some long.

We watched as the line disappeared bit by bit. Every now and then, Maka would look at me and ask if I remembered certain things that happened in the past, like my first day of class at the academy, or when I visited her place for the first time.

Talking about all those small, yet special events made me think of the line at my feet as a timeline. I imagined that I was erasing all the bad times, all the things that often turned my stomach or kept me up at night. The "bad times that happened before Maka" wouldn't bother me anymore once I finished erasing.

At last, we neared the last bit of circle left. I stopped and stared at it. Maka waited while I wondered about something.

Soon I made up my mind and turned to her. "I think I can handle the rest."

"Alright," she said, "if you're sure." She then loosened her fingers, disjoining them from mine.

There was a strange churning in my stomach that had nothing to do with hunger. When she let go, it was like learning to swim all by myself, without any help.

_Just do what you've been doing_, I told myself. I lifted my foot, knowing that she was right there with me.

And, unsurprisingly, it was easy. The final piece disappeared with one last _swish _and it only took a second.

I sighed, relieved to have that weight taken off my shoulders, even if the circle was just for pretend. I wanted to smile at Maka, but she wasn't at my side anymore.

Before I could wonder where she went, I felt her arms sliding around me. They wrapped around my middle, and the side of her head pressed against my back, resting there.

I stood frozen on the sand. She'd never hugged me from behind before, and it felt different from a normal, frontward one. Her warm cheek lay between my shoulders and her hair tickled the back of my neck. I moved my head, but I could only see part of her, which was disappointing.

Despite that, it was still nice to have her so close. I liked feeling the slow rhythm of her breath, the soft pressure of her hold, and I especially liked how snugly we seemed to fit. I looked down in front of me, finding where her hands were, and touched them.

"All gone," we whispered.


	9. Theme of Fear

Sometimes I thought my friends were only friends with me because of Maka. I couldn't help but wonder if they'd ever really hang out with me if it wasn't for her.

She probably gathered them up and told them all about what happened between us the day we connected for the first time. "Chrona's actually a good person," she might've said. "Trust me."

As if having one friend wasn't enough of a miracle already, I found myself surrounded with many more.

And I didn't even do anything. They just invited me, and I accepted.

I never made a friend on my own before. I never thought I would, simply because there was no need. The number I had already was more than I expected to have in a lifetime.

One morning I was forced to wake up before it was anywhere near the time for class to start. It was even before they started serving breakfast in the cafeteria, and outside the sky was just beginning to get light and clear as the sun rose.

Normally I didn't get up this early, but Ragnarok figured poking and pinching me at six in the morning would get us first in line when they opened the cafeteria doors. I yawned a lot and moved slowly, but eventually I was out of my room and on my way.

The candles in the empty hallways burned silently as I walked by them. We didn't see a soul until we reached some of the public restrooms. I intended to pass them by, but I stopped when one of the doors opened.

I wasn't staring just because I didn't expect to see anyone come out. I stared because the person coming out of the boys' room was doing so on his hands and knees. For a moment it made me wonder if I was still asleep in bed after all, dreaming.

His head was lowered as his eyes darted this way and that, searching the floor as if he'd dropped something. He had blond hair and bright aquamarine eyes on a young boyish face. He sort of reminded me of one of the Death Scythes, Justin, only he was dressed more flamboyantly.

He started crawling toward the other door, away from the boys' room and closer to the girls' room.

"What are you doing?" I asked, loud enough for him to hear but soft enough not to make him jump.

He froze on the spot, his face paling as it started to sweat. Slowly, he raised his eyes until they met mine. Then he visibly relaxed and a sigh of relief seeped out of his mouth. "Oh, it's just you."

I felt my hand squeeze around my arm. We'd never met before. "Oh, I'm—"

"I know who you are," he said, and pointed up at Ragnarok. "The infamous Demon Sword and his Meister."

"Look kid," said Ragnarok. "We don't have time for chitchat." And he prodded the back of my head, trying to get me to move forward.

"Fine," said the boy, "but if you see a hamster around here, let me know."

_A hamster?_ I thought. I wanted to ask him a question, but Ragnarok answered, "You bet," in a falsely sweet voice and gave me another deep jab, this time in the back of my neck. I stumbled, caught my balance, and walked on without a chance to glance back.

The interruption was small, but it still annoyed Ragnarok. He uttered accusations under his breath, as if he thought the boy had wanted to hold us up on purpose. I decided to keep an eye out for anything furry crawling on the floor. Helping someone find their lost pet seemed more important than being first in line for breakfast.

Ragnarok was too distracted by his own thoughts to notice I was walking slower. I paced myself, checking corners and anyplace the hamster could be hiding. I even deliberately made a wrong turn so I could double back—maybe the pet was somewhere around the way we came.

"You want me to starve, don't you?" Ragnarok asked when he finally realized what was going on. "If we do find that hamster, I'm eating it."

I'd seen him eat a lot of weird things before but I wasn't sure if he'd actually gobble down something like a live hamster. It wasn't something I looked forward to finding out.

What I did discover, though, was that for such a tiny thing hiding in a dark corner, it knew how to put up a fight. It didn't run away from me, but by the time it stopped squirming in my hands, my fingers were covered in tiny bite and scratch marks. I could feel it quaking between my palms as I carried it with me. It was as if I was holding a furry, beating heart.

The boy wasn't where we first saw him, so after another pointed reminder of how empty Ragnarok's stomach was, we resumed our walk to the cafeteria.

Along the way, we ran into him again.

"Here's your hamster," I said, uncovering my hands.

"Thanks," he said, taking it and putting it inside the metal cage he was carrying. "But it's not mine—I was looking after it for someone, so when I lost it I thought I was done for."

"Why are you here so early?"

"My friend told me to meet him when he got here, and he's always here early for his club meetings." The boy closed his eyes tightly and lifted his hand to cover his mouth while he yawned. "Well," he said, turning away, "thanks again."

"Satisfied now?" Ragnarok hissed in my ear but oddly enough, I wasn't.

"Wait."

He stopped and looked at me over his shoulder.

"What's your name?"

The boy gave me a small grin. "It's Hiro."

* * *

><p>-xoxo-<p>

* * *

><p>I didn't see him until several days afterward, but when I did, I recognized him instantly. He ran past me, obviously in a big hurry, and when I turned my head to watch him he was handing various things to different people and apologizing for being late.<p>

It seemed all Hiro ever did was favors for other people, but no one ever seemed to thank him. I realized that even taking care of the hamster was something that someone pressured him to do.

Pressured, not forced. I didn't think anyone ever outright threatened him into doing anything. He was just easy to persuade.

Once, at the end of a Phys. Ed. class, I went over to the drinking fountains for a drink and noticed two people talking across from me. They were out of earshot, standing near the locker room building. One of the students was Hiro. A dark blue dumpster stood behind him, and the boy he was with pointed at it.

My thumb was pressing the fountain's button, but the water flowed without being drunk.

Hiro looked at the dumpster nervously and started to shake his head, but the boy tapped at his own wrist and jabbed his finger at the huge trash bin again. Hiro swallowed, nodded vigorously, and climbed right into the garbage, disappearing from sight.

I felt my throat tighten, wondering if the blond Meister was being bullied or if he was just being someone's doormat again.

An arm rose from the trash with something clutched in its hand. Hiro tugged himself out, filthy and frowning. He handed the object to his peer, who took it, wiped it on his PE shorts, and bound it to his wrist. It appeared to be a watch.

Then Hiro was left alone. He stared off into space, caked in bits of food and covered with stains.

I remembered the water and considered leaning over it to pretend I hadn't witnessed the scene before me.

Hiro turned his head and our eyes met. I felt rooted to the spot.

At first he stared at me blankly as if he couldn't properly see me. Then his mouth curved into a smile. He cupped his hands near each side of his mouth and shouted.

"Good thing the shower rooms are so close by, huh?"

I didn't know what to say and my mind couldn't think of any good words quick enough. It was a late response, but I just gave a single nod. He waved at me while I watched him enter the doors that led to the locker rooms.

Later on, I even caught Black*Star telling him to do something for him. He got in trouble for being late to class for the fifth time in a row, so he got Hiro to take his punishment.

Perplexed, I decided to ask someone about him.

"He's basically the academy's errand boy. Everyone knows that," Liz said, flipping through the magazine she'd asked me to get for her. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," I said, even though there was. She turned another page and I watched, thinking about why I did this favor for her. It was because I liked doing things for my friends. I liked to make them happy, and I liked it when they showed their appreciation by saying thanks or smiling or touching my shoulder.

It was especially nice to do favors for Maka, since she usually did all three. It was nice to hear her voice, see her smile, and feel her hand on my shoulder at the same time.

Did Hiro like being an errand boy? No matter how I looked at it, I couldn't get how he could seem happy while the students took advantage of him. He was practically a servant. It reminded me of how I used to be, and I didn't like it.

It made me want to _do _something.

Ragnarok kept telling me to stop worrying about him, to leave him alone because he never asked for any help. He said I was going to end up like Maka, someone who'd stick their nose where it didn't belong and mess up a poor kid's life for good.

"She didn't mess things up for us," I kept reminding him. "She made things better."

And of course I wouldn't mind it if I became like Maka.

* * *

><p>-xoxo-<p>

* * *

><p>I saw Hiro making his way down the hall, his bright hair and clothes standing out amongst the other students. He didn't look like he was in a hurry, so I waited for just the right moment to step in his path. From the corner of my eye, I watched him get closer and prepared to turn myself around.<p>

I wasn't sure if it was because of nervousness or eagerness, but as I made my turn, I stuck my foot out a little too much. Hiro walked right in its way and tripped. He threw out his arms, which flailed and flapped in the air like wings. There was a loud bump when he fell flat on his face.

For a moment I was stunned. Before I could snap to my senses again, there was a new sound. Many of the students around us saw what happened and some of them were laughing, as if they thought I'd tripped Hiro on purpose.

My brain demanded that I help him up and ask if he was alright, but I couldn't move quick enough. My body was still not fully recovered from the small shock. Hiro, however, began moving on his own. Slowly, he pushed himself up to a kneeling position on the floor.

A few people were still staring, but most went back to what they were doing before. Some walked past still snickering.

Hiro got to his feet and whirled around. His nose was a little red from the fall. "What did you do that for?" he growled, glaring and dusting himself off.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" I blurted, accidentally raising my voice.

"Then I'll watch where I'm going next time." His hands rolled themselves into fists at his sides as he turned to continue down the hall.

"Wait." I quickly stepped in front of him. He stopped, looking annoyed, but listened. "I need a favor."

At this, his face visibly sagged. "I know I owe you one for the hamster thing, but does it have to be right now?"

"No, but I need it done by the end of the day." And I showed him the card I was holding.

Asking people for favors wasn't something I often did, so I was surprised at myself for how well I was doing. My hand barely trembled as I gave him the card. It made me wonder if I was starting to know how it felt to be like Maka.

The card he now held was a recipe card, and I told him I needed twenty-five copies.

"That's all?" he asked, eyebrows raised. "Okay, but—?"

"Thanks!" And I took off, like any person pretending to be in a hurry would do.

Late that afternoon, when I received my neat stack of recipe cards, I made him follow me to the staff room, explaining that there was actually more to my request.

As expected, someone was waiting for me there.

I handed the cards to her, and she smiled and thanked me for running this errand for her, but I told her it was Hiro she should be thanking.

Marie-sensei's face lit up. "I take it you're the volunteer Chrona was looking for?"

He blinked at her and opened his mouth, probably to ask what she was talking about, so I quietly but firmly kicked at his heel.

"Yes, ma'am, that's me!" He drew himself up straight and tall, then bowed grandly and deeply.

"I'm glad you're excited—All of us are looking forward to it," she said, tucking the cards away into her handbag. "I'll see you two soon."

We both gave her a wave, and as soon as she was out the door, Hiro wasted no time in turning to me and demanding an explanation. What exactly had he just involuntarily volunteered for?

I held my hands up in front of me and tried to smile, but it came out badly crooked. There was a small tremor in my voice, too.

It was widely known throughout the academy that Marie-sensei had a knack for cooking. She often made snacks and lunches for her students if they asked. But recently they tended to ask her for tips on how to improve their own skills. She gave one group of students a "test" where they'd each make a treat and present it to her for tasting. Earlier today she gave me her own special recipe for apple strudel and asked for several copies. These were to be like the group's study guide. I agreed when she asked if I wanted to help her with "grading." I even promised to find someone to help us finish all that strudel.

The promise of free food seemed to win Hiro over, though the whole thing made him suspicious. "I never thought I'd end up doing someone a favor that sounded so… fun. I dunno, usually I just go around running errands and it's boring, but this time I feel like I'm doing something _with _you instead of just for you."

I felt a twinge of guilt as I looked down, unable to meet his eyes. I knew I shouldn't have looked away, but it happened so quickly I couldn't stop it. Part of me wished I'd look up again but another part found it so much easier to stare at the floor.

"That's kind of the point," I admitted, and as soon as I said it I felt so pathetic. Maybe Ragnarok was right; maybe trying to befriend him was a bad idea. What if he thought I was only trying to reach out to him because I felt sorry for him? Or what if he thought I sounded desperate and needy, clumsily trying to add another member to the small collection of friends I had already?

My heart started to tap roughly inside my chest, and I took a step backward. "But if you'd rather I stop bothering you now, then I will. I'll—I'll tell Marie-sensei you couldn't make it or something…"

I watched my foot move backward again. The urge to turn around and run out the door was growing stronger.

My breathing was rapid and shallow, as expected, but now that my attention was on it, it began to slow down.

"Are you okay?"

Hiro's voice distracted me, but I couldn't just ignore it. Hands clenched, I forced myself to look at him. I didn't like the look he was giving me, like I was some kind of weirdo, but his next words took me by surprise.

"I'll go. Like I said, it sounds fun and I'll get free food, right? So it's no big deal."

It was my turn to stare at him oddly. I wasn't sure if I had done something right or if he was in it for his own benefit, but either way, the end result was the same. I just hoped he wasn't a picky eater.

* * *

><p>-xoxo-<p>

* * *

><p>Most of the young bakers were girls, some of whom I knew—including Kim and Jacqueline. It was a lazy Saturday afternoon and the cafeteria was warm from all the freshly made strudel. There was plenty of it to go around. Marie-sensei had a taste of it all, noting which ones were too sweet, which ones were just right, and even which ones seemed better than her own.<p>

Unless my eyes were playing tricks on me, Kim and Jacqueline kept throwing quick, dark looks at Hiro, who either didn't notice or pretended not to. Sure enough, when he got up from the table and was out of earshot for the first time, Kim turned to face me.

"I didn't know you hung out with perverts," she said.

The bit of strudel I was lifting never reached my mouth. "Excuse me?"

Jacqueline was nodding in agreement as she offered up another pastry to Ragnarok, who paused just to say, "Big deal. The guy's a guy."

Kim folded her arms together. "I just thought you should know, Chrona. He's a pushover, but there was a time when he got really full of himself and thought he could do whatever he wanted. Keep that in mind if you plan on hanging around him more."

This bit of news was a little unsettling, and I hoped it didn't show on my face as everyone got ready to leave. It was tough looking Hiro in the eye when we said our goodbyes.

It got easier, though, over the next few days. I could say hi back to him whenever we passed each other in the halls. Maybe Kim was right about him, but for now, he didn't seem so bad.

Then I wondered what Maka thought of him. Would she warn me to stay away and not bother with him? If there was one person whose opinion I valued over anyone else's, it was hers. I decided to ask.

She had to think it over for a moment. It was hard for her to share her thoughts about someone she'd barely even spoken to. She told me about the time he became power-hungry when he teamed up with Excalibur, but the experience was brief. He reverted to his old ways right after, so she wasn't sure if he was harmless or not.

"But even though I don't know much about him," she said, shrugging her shoulders, "I think it's good that you made a friend on your own." And she gave me one of my favorite smiles—the kind that told me I did something she really liked.

The rest was up to me now. Proceeding carefully seemed like the safest option, so I stuck to just saying hi to him in the hallways and stopping for a quick chat if we had time.

Sometimes he would seek me out on purpose. Sometimes he wanted me to join a group study session and sometimes he wanted tips on sword-wielding. He was one of the few Meisters at his age who still didn't have a partner, but he came to me for advice in case his Weapon ended up being a sword. It was the kind he had the most experience in handling.

One morning he had a strange smile on his face. "Hey," he asked me, "you know Maka Albarn, right?"

I hesitated before answering. "Yes. Why?"

"She just saved my life."

His words earned a frown from me, which didn't leave my face even after he explained what happened. He was walking up the enormous staircase at the front of the school carrying a tall stack of another student's books. Just as he reached the top, the tower of books wavered. He lost his footing and would've tumbled down to his death if Maka hadn't been around to save him. She stopped his fall as she was coming up the stairs herself.

I asked him about the books.

"Oh, they got a little dusty and beat up, but they survived too."

"No, I meant what were you doing with them in the first place?"

The books were overdue library books that someone asked him to return… and pay the late fees for.

I shook my head. "You shouldn't let people walk all over you all the time."

"That sounds really weird when it's coming from you," he said, but then a thoughtful look crossed his face. After a moment his eyes gleamed as if he had an idea. "Maybe Maka can teach me?"

His voice was quiet, so I wasn't sure if he was just musing to himself or asking for my opinion. In any case, I didn't get to answer because the bell for class to start rang long and loud above our heads.

I felt strange after that. During class, I watched Maka carefully, but she never mentioned Hiro throughout the whole day. The next time I heard from him was that evening, when I was going to the cafeteria to have dinner.

He snuck up from behind and gripped my shoulder to stop me. He didn't even say hello. He just said, "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know what Maka's favorite flower is, would you?"

He took me by surprise so suddenly that I blurted out the kind she liked without thinking. Then he gave my shoulder a pat and ran back the way he came.

I stood there to let what just happened sink in. Then I wanted to kick myself.

When I woke up the next morning, my mind was still full of questions. There were so many that I couldn't focus on one long enough to figure out how to deal with it. The only answers I had were guesses of my own and none of them were at all comforting. Having a word with Hiro or Maka was the only way to get to the bottom of this, but motivating myself was difficult because I didn't think I'd like what I would find.

I wasn't hungry, but I forced some breakfast into my stomach and hoped it would help. I kept an eye out for them the whole time. Then I searched around the academy, but it looked like neither of them were here yet.

Ragnarok kept poking me in the face because I wouldn't tell him what was wrong with me. I put up with it at first, but he just wouldn't stop, so I decided to go wait in the classroom. If Maka wasn't there already, I'd talk to her when it was time for lunch.

I had a long walk ahead of me. Ragnarok finally got bored and left my face alone. Neither of us spoke and if it weren't for the students in the halls, it would've been completely quiet.

A surprise was waiting for me near the classroom door, stopping me in my tracks. For a moment I was happy because the two people standing ahead were the ones I'd been looking for, but as I looked closer, my smile faded.

Hiro and Maka were facing each other and talking, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. He was standing very close to her. There was a bouquet of flowers in his hand, the same kind of flowers that I'd told him were her favorite.

He kneeled down on one knee and held them up to her.

She took them, hugging the gift to her chest. Several petals brushed under her chin and she closed her eyes, breathing in their scent. Her mouth stretched into a smile.

My feet jerked backward, making me stumble, but I didn't care. All that mattered was putting as much distance between them and me as possible. Eyes on the ground, I hurried to move out of sight before they had a chance to notice. I backed up until something firm and solid stopped me.

A big window stood behind me with a sill wide enough to sit on. I collapsed onto it.

My pulse was racing and my palms were sweaty. I could feel my head throbbing. Ragnarok shouted at me and I winced.

"Damn, Chrona, _breathe_!"

He made me realize that I'd been holding my breath. No wonder my chest felt so tight.

"You're panicking for no reason," he huffed.

I shut my eyes. I wanted to hit him so he'd shut up and leave me alone. I had every right to panic. My fears had been confirmed before my eyes.

Hiro liked Maka.

I remembered what Kim said about him, about him being a pervert, and it made me worry. I didn't want Maka getting hurt. Even though he was the only friend I made on my own, she was much more important.

I stood up, hugging myself. She would be inside the classroom now, still holding that bouquet close. I would wait until I saw Hiro again. He was the only one I needed to speak with now.

But I couldn't get a moment with him for the rest of the day, as if he was on to me. Strange how he popped up when I didn't need him and disappeared when I did. I kept a watchful eye on Maka in case he showed up to give her more gifts and flirt with her.

I lingered at the front of the class at the end of the day. Maka must've noticed I was distracted because before she went home she asked me if I was okay.

"Not exactly," I admitted in a quiet voice. "But I will be."

She set her flowers down on the nearest desk and opened her arms. Stepping closer, she wrapped me in a hug that was tender and soft. "If something's bothering you, you know you can tell me about it, right?"

I looked at the flowers lying there by themselves and moved my arms to return the hug. "I know," I said, then closed my eyes to hide the bouquet from view.

That was one of the many reasons why Maka was so wonderful. She offered to listen but never pressured me to talk if I didn't want to. And when she held me like this, everything else seemed less scary.

So at the end of the next day, when the hallways became packed with students trying to go home and I saw a familiar patch of blond hair among them, I raced right over. Hiro moved fast, as if he knew I was after him, but I caught up to him. Reaching out, I clasped on to the cuff of his sleeve and held my ground.

He turned with raised eyebrows.

"There's something we need to talk about," I said.

"Sure, but I'm kind of busy—"

"It's important."

His eyes narrowed, but whether it was with suspicion or concern, I couldn't tell.

I kept a firm grip on his arm as I looked for an empty classroom. I didn't let go until we were inside and the door was shut behind us.

"Hiro," I said, and got right to the point. "I don't want to hang around you anymore."

"Wait." Whatever he'd been expecting, it wasn't that. "What?"

"It's not like I hate you…" My voice began to trail off. The thought of him and Maka together filled my head. Their smiles put an uneasy stir deep in my stomach and I frowned. "I just… don't like how you treat one of my friends."

He frowned too, then scratched his cheek with one finger. "Who? What did I do to them?"

"Nothing. I mean, you didn't do anything bad, but—Well, to me it was bad, so—It's more what you _might_ do to them later that I have a problem with. You see?"

He stared at me, then shook his head slowly.

I sighed. For a moment I just closed my eyes and scolded myself. _Start again and be clear this time._

"It's Maka. I don't know what you want from her, but I don't like it. You might end up hurting her. That's why we can't be friends. I don't want anything to do with someone who might toy with her feelings. And the thought of you trying to be with her like that is actually really scary to me…"

I swallowed, my eyes still shut firmly behind closed lids. There was a tense pause before he spoke.

"You think that I have a thing for Maka?"

I opened my eyes and wondered if my face looked just as surprised as his did. "Don't you?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Nope."

"But I saw you giving her those flowers!"

"I gave them to her as a way of saying thanks for saving my life the other day. That's why I asked you which were her favorite. What, you thought I was confessing to her or something?" He cracked a grin.

I said nothing because I didn't find it funny. It should've been relieving to know I was wrong about the way he felt about Maka, but a sliver of fear and mistrust lingered in me. What if I had just accidentally encouraged him to get closer to her?

"Hey," he said, drawing me out of my thoughts. "Why the big fuss over her anyway? You didn't have to kidnap me just to clear up this little misunderstanding."

Ignoring his teasing, I lowered my head and kept my mouth shut. My face was getting hot.

Hiro spoke again, his voice now solemn.

"And what if I _did _actually like her, in a serious way? You'd still want me to back off, wouldn't you?" He scowled. "Why?"

I shifted uncomfortably. After the way I accused him, he probably deserved to know. My stomach squirmed as I thought about telling him the one thing I'd never told anyone before. The thing I'd been too scared even to admit to myself. But if he knew the truth and still wanted to be friends, then he'd definitely not try anything with her.

"I like Maka."

It was the truth and it didn't matter if he started teasing me about it now.

"Oh, okay. That explains your jumping to conclusions." He talked calmly, as if he had suspected my secret all along. "But really, don't feel threatened by me—She's not even that hot anyway."

For a few seconds I just stood there, stunned. Then I lunged at him, but he ducked away. I turned to find him walking calmly out the door, his hand waving goodbye to me.

I stared at the back of his head, unable to decide if he was a jerk or not.

* * *

><p>-xoxo-<p>

* * *

><p>The next time I saw Maka, I quickly asked her if Hiro had talked to her recently. She told me he hadn't, then asked why I wanted to know. My face flooded with warmth when I told her it was nothing.<p>

"That reminds me, would you introduce me to him sometime? I feel like getting to know him since he's your friend now—"

"He's not my friend."

Her eyes widened and her eyebrows shot up.

"He's… an acquaintance," I explained.

"Oh," she said, though she looked a bit confused. "I see…"

I was ashamed of myself for letting him escape without making him swear not to tell my secret to anyone. So far it looked like no one knew, but I couldn't help wondering if he was waiting for the right moment to use it as blackmail.

The next time I saw him, I froze in place, not sure if I should pretend not to notice him. He made a beeline for me, though, and I braced myself for the worst.

At first it was just like the way things were before he almost fell down those stairs. He just wanted to talk about nothing.

It seemed that way at first, but the last thing he said to me was about Maka. He wanted to know if I had confessed to her yet.

No, I hadn't. I wasn't ready. Not that it was any of his business anyway.

He did get me thinking, though. If I'd thought that _he _was interested in her, then it could only be a matter of time before someone else started bringing her flowers and flirting with her.

He also gave me an idea. If he could buy her a gift as a gesture of appreciation, then I could too, right? A gift that showed thanks for her friendship, a gift she deserved just for being her.

I wasn't sure what kind of present to get until I saw it. I even thought about wrapping it but decided it would be too much. It wasn't as impressive as a bouquet of her favorite flowers, but I hoped she'd like it anyway.

I gave it to her when we went to the library together to return the books we'd borrowed. We walked out and instead of saying goodbye, I told her I wanted to give her something.

I stood with my toes pointed inward as she watched me reach into my pocket. I pulled out a bookmark and held it out for her to take. I knew one of her old bookmarks was wearing down so I got her this.

Her smile was warm as she cradled the present in her hands. "Thank you," she said. "This is sweet of you, Chrona, but I feel kind of bad now because I can't remember the last time I got something for you."

"You don't have to buy anything for me if you don't want to…"

"Would there happen to be anything you'd like that's free?"

My throat went dry.

Maka smiled as if she were joking, but her eyes were serious. There were plenty of things I hadn't done with Maka that I wanted to try someday, but now was not the time for something new. I thought of all the things I'd already tried with her and knew right away which I enjoyed the most. It was something I'd do anytime, anywhere, if I could.

"Can I… have a hug, maybe?"

Her smile widened to show teeth. Without a word, she stepped directly in front of me and lifted her arms. She didn't slink them around me; her hands found and pulled at both my arms until they were hung stiffly around her waist. Then she hugged me with her hands and the little bookmark pressed against my back.

It took me a while to let my arms ease up. Maka made no move to pull away, so I was able to relax in her warmth for a long time. Staying this close to her made me trust her more than I already did before. I even felt like I could tell her I liked her right then and there.

My mouth kept itself shut, though. Maybe fear was holding me back, but I preferred to think that I still wasn't ready yet. I wanted to be ready somewhere else, on another day, when the atmosphere was nothing short of perfect and everything around us was special and something just _told _me that I was really ready.

Closing my eyes, I made both her and myself a promise. Someday I would tell her everything I liked about her while looking right at her face and not at the floor and without tripping over my words or worrying about getting rejected. She was my friend, my very first friend, and if I could be brave enough to face someone like Hiro, then I should be brave enough to face someone like Maka.


	10. Theme of Trapped

I woke up in a dark strange place with aches all over my body. I moved slowly, trying to make my eyes adjust to the darkness as quickly as possible. The bed I woke up on had a lumpy mattress that felt like a slab of cement.

A long dark cloth slid off my shoulders as I sat up with one hand pressed to my forehead. I sighed, wondering how long I'd been out.

"Chrona? You're awake… Thank goodness…"

Maka stepped out of the shadows, a line of worry on her brow as she leaned down to give me a tight hug.

The two of us were in a dim prison cell. The only light came from the barred window on the back wall. A wet drop, probably mildew, leaked from the ceiling and hit the top of my head.

Maka pulled away and I ran a hand through my hair. I was glad that she was safe, but…

"Where's Soul?" I asked.

"He got away, don't worry." She folded her arms across her chest. "I don't know where he is right now, but I'm sure he's on his way to get this all straightened out."

I stood up to stretch my legs and rub my sore wrist. The long dark cloth had been her coat. She put it on, took a seat on the bed, and told me we'd been brought here about twenty minutes ago.

"You had a nasty bump on your forehead, but it looks like it's all healed now." She paused. "I got one of them, by the way. You?"

I nodded. "I got one, too."

"Then that means there's only two left."

We only had four targets to hunt down during this mission. We had decided to gather as much information about them as we could from the village square. It should have been a quick and easy day, like any other, but…

We hadn't expected them to attack the crowded square right then and there in broad daylight.

At first we didn't understand what was going on. It was noon and the place was packed and suddenly someone screamed. Then another and another, then the running started. Maka grabbed my arm and held onto it as I was pushed and shoved forward until the people in front of me stopped in their tracks and twisted around, hurrying the other way.

Maka pressed her head close to my ear. She spoke calmly. "They're spread out. North, south, east, and west. Take the one in front of us. Soul and I will take care of the one behind us."

He was already a scythe in her hands. His blade glinted in the sunlight as they turned in one smooth and swift motion. Within moments, they disappeared amongst the crowd.

I turned my palm face-up, watching as Ragnarok appeared there in his Demon Sword form. The villagers kept bumping into me as I trudged forward, my eyes searching for the monsters responsible for this chaos.

A large gap in the crowd lay ahead with a lone figure at its center. Most of the villagers who were giving the creature space were fleeing, but some were standing in place and staring with their eyes wide.

It looked ghost-like, but upon closer inspection it seemed more like a tall person wearing a gray bed sheet. Only it was hovering an inch off the ground with no feet visible.

At the moment it was looking between two frozen villagers, as if deciding which to victimize. It had a pair of black holes for eyes. When it lunged, it revealed a gnarled, sickly gray hand with sharp, black fingernails.

"No you don't!"

I rushed at it, my feet pounding against the cobblestone ground. Gripping Ragnarok in both hands, I took aim and pierced its back. Despite its hollow appearance, it felt solid.

It halted and the head slowly bent backwards. Its hand fell limp. The body disintegrated the moment I tugged Ragnarok out, leaving a blood-red soul in its place.

Ragnarok's tongue lashed out like a frog's, catching the soul and bringing it to his mouth for him to swallow whole.

A long, high-pitched screeching noise sounded in the distance. It was joined by another of the same noise, then several more. They seemed to be coming from everywhere. Then I recognized the sounds as whistles blowing.

Joining them was the rumbling of feet. To my right I could see a few men dressed in police uniforms, waving their arms and blowing their whistles. Behind me was a cluster of villagers screaming and running right at me.

I barely had time to blink before one of them crashed straight into me, knocking me down. Pain shot through my body as my head slammed against the pavement. The world spun and my vision blurred. My consciousness was slipping fast.

The last thing I remembered seeing was someone else who had also fallen. I remembered how twisted their face looked as they were trampled by the panicky stampede of civilians…

In the confusion, we must've been apprehended and taken down to the station but I was too worried to be angry at the village authorities' mistake. The last two targets were on the loose somewhere and until we were released there was nothing we could do about it. Our only hope was Soul. He would explain that we were students from Shibusen and then we'd be freed in no time.

Maka stood up from the bed and walked to the cell door that contained us like birds trapped in a cage. She grabbed onto the bars, standing close and sighing as she dropped her gaze to the floor.

I went to the window and looked out between its own set of iron bars. Green grass led to the edge of a forest and when I squinted, I could just barely make out what looked like the village square beyond the trees.

Maka's voice made my eyes snap away from the window. "He's here!"

She was looking into the depths of the hallway. "Soul just entered the station. I can sense him." Her brow furrowed in worry. "A lot of other souls are around him."

I could almost hear a dim buzz of chattering coming from the direction she was looking. My stomach sunk as I feared what would happen if Soul had failed and got thrown in here too. What then?

_**We bust outta here, genius.**_

I nearly gasped aloud. Ragnarok rarely responded to my thoughts. His plan turned over in my head, but in the end I disagreed with it. I told him a jailbreak was too rash, but in either case, Maka was the leader, so I was sure she'd figure something out.

The minutes passed with no changes. The chattering buzz was still there and our cell stayed quiet. Maka didn't move. I walked to the bed and sat down, gripping my hands together.

We waited. Then Maka's eyes widened. "He's coming."

There was the sound of a door creaking open and shutting softly. Footsteps followed and soon Soul appeared in front of our cell. He looked sort of frazzled, but otherwise unharmed.

Maka asked him why he was by himself. Shouldn't a guard be with him to let us out?

Soul sneered in disgust and told us how they were just starting to fill out the paperwork for our release. First he'd been hounded by the local press. Swarms of reporters wouldn't leave him alone. Then he spent his time explaining that we weren't with the attackers; we were sent by the academy to eliminate them.

"The mayor knew we were coming but everybody else obviously missed the memo. You'd think none of them ever saw a human Weapon before," he said. "Guess this village doesn't get much action. They're having a field day out there!"

Maka groaned.

I kept quiet, thinking back to what happened before I blacked out. I wondered if anyone had been killed or badly injured. Those two monsters were still out there somewhere. If we weren't let out soon…

Soul shuffled his feet. "I'm actually not supposed to be here with you guys, to tell the truth… I got fed up with waiting, so I snuck my way in to keep you company."

"At least now we know what's taking so long," said Maka.

The gloomy cell seemed less miserable with a friendly face on the other side of the bars. There was still an air of uneasiness, though, as we thought of the ghost-like fugitives.

My unspoken question of where they were now was answered a few minutes later by Maka. Her body went rigid as her eyes stretched, her face paling.

Her lips barely moved, but her words slid out audibly. "I sense them."

A chill shot up my back. I gripped the edge of the bed tightly, eyes glued to her.

Soul stood alert. "Where?"

She took a breath, blinked, and the color returned to her face. Slowly, she turned around and walked toward the window at the back of the cell.

Her hands gripped the bars. "Right where we first saw them."

"The village square?" I asked, standing up but not moving any closer to the window.

"Yes, but it's empty right now. They're just… prowling."

"We need to take them out, and fast," said Soul.

"I know." Maka took a step back, keeping one hand pressed flat against the wall. She studied it all: bars in the window, cracks in the wall, the pre-Kishin souls outside. She lowered her head and stood with her eyes closed. A long pause followed without her moving an inch. We waited in silence while she thought.

Knowing we didn't have much time, she reached a decision as soon as she could. She backed away from the wall, turned, and marched straight toward the cell door, toward Soul.

She stared at him determinedly, stretching her arm between the bars. Her palm was wide open like a flower in bloom.

It made sense to Soul, and in a moment he was a scythe in her clenched fist. He fitted easily between the bars.

"Wait," I said as I watched the two of them face the window. "Are you sure that's—?"

"We won't use our whole strength. We'll hold back just enough for a big hole, but you better stand back anyway."

I usually never questioned Maka during a mission, but I crept to the furthest corner reluctantly. I knew we had to eliminate the pre-Kishins fast, but breaking out of jail seemed a tad extreme. What if someone entered with our release forms just as we made our escape? Everyone would get suspicious of us all over again.

"Soul Resonance!"

The air filled with Maka and Soul's energy as they matched wavelengths. She faced the wall, posed for attack. His blade shone as it grew, taking the shape of their most used technique, the Witch Hunter.

She swung in an arc, putting mild force in her arms. One clean slash was all it took for part of the old wall to crumble to pieces. The window was gone, replaced by a neat hole with bars and debris piled on the floor.

Covering my nose and mouth to protect them from the settling dust, I followed her outside. She broke into a run the moment her feet found grass.

"Let's hurry and get the drop on them," she called to me. "They've separated in the square."

I matched her pace, dodging trees when I had to. Soon I saw the village square loom into view.

Maka increased her speed and I followed suit. Pointing straight ahead, she told me to keep going and take out the creature as soon as I saw it while she handled the other. After I nodded to show I understood, she turned left and ran deeper into the woods.

The trees grew scarce as I neared the village. Ragnarok waited in my hand, ready. I saw the pre-Kishin before it saw me, but I was barely a few steps out of the woods before it charged at me.

I didn't slow down. The distance between us shrunk greatly. It stretched out its thin gray hand when we were close to crashing.

At the last second, I dropped. Bent low, my body skidded past it and slid to a stop.

Still moving fast, the creature realized too late that it was charging toward nothing. It tried to halt, but by then I was already on my feet and standing behind it.

Before it could turn, I rammed Ragnarok into the back of its head.

It stood still, twitched, and evaporated. We collected the soul and I sighed, thankful that the square had been empty this time. I never wanted to fight in the middle of a crowd of civilians again.

I wasn't sure what part of the square Maka had run off to, so I decided to wait. She'd find me more easily than I'd find her.

I didn't have to wait long. She and Soul strode to me with triumphant expressions on their faces, having finished a job well done.

There was still the matter of the jail to deal with. None of us looked forward to going back even though we knew we had to. I also knew we'd have to fix up the cell we wrecked.

We trudged our way back. It was quiet until a sudden thought struck Maka.

"Hey, guys? If you don't mind, let's leave the whole getting-tossed-in-jail thing out of our report to Shinigami-sama, alright?"

"Wow, Maka," Soul said, flashing his teeth. "Lying about a mission? That's new for you."

"Leaving out unimportant details doesn't count as lying! Right, Chrona?" She looked at me with large bright eyes, nudging my shoulder with her own. "Right?"

I blushed at the gesture. "R-Right."

"Jailbirds," Soul muttered.

I didn't know what he meant by that, but it made Maka and I exchange smiles.


End file.
